Kakinada: Private hospital fined 75 lakh, forced to refund 10.84 lakh

Kakinada: The Kakinada police have registered a criminal case against Dr Vadrevu Ravi, managing director of Sai Sudha Hospital and the president of Indian Medical Association (IMA), Kakinada for collecting huge sum for treatment from a Covid patient.

The family members of O Satyanarayana, who died undergoing treatment for Covid at Sai Sudha Hospital, lodged a complaint with Collector Muralidhar Reddy, Joint Collector Keerthi Chekuri and the police on Thursday.

Based on the complaints, the police registered a case against the Sai Sudha Hospital management under Sections 188, 420 of the Epidemic Diseases Act and the Disaster Management Act.

The Joint Collector instituted an inquiry and found the complaint of the relatives to be correct and hence imposed a heavy fine Rs 75 lakh on Sai Sudha Hospital administration for collecting fee of Rs 10.84 lakh from the Covid patient. As per the instructions of the Joint Collector, the hospital paid back Rs 10.84 lakh to the bereaved members of the family.

District Collector issued warning to the private hospitals that in case they violate the Covid regulations particularly with regard to the fee collection they would be taken to task and stringent action will be taken against them. Later, Dr Vadrevu Ravi handed over the imposed fine through a cheque for Rs 75 lakh to the District Collector D Muralidhar Reddy on Friday.