Gurgaon Hospital Overbilled Family Of Child Who Died, By 700%: Report

Gurgaon: The death of seven-year-old Adya Singh at Gurgaon's Fortis hospital was "murder", a Haryana minister has said after a government investigation reinforced allegations of overcharging and egregious negligence by the hospital. Fortis is staring at a police case and the prospect of losing its land lease.

The government inquiry has found several irregularities by the hospital, which handed a bill of Rs 15.5 lakhs to the parents of the child after she died in September.

Adya's father has alleged that Fortis offered him money to stop pursuing the case and end his social media campaign.

"Senior members of Fortis met me near my office and said we will refund what you paid in cheque and we will give you Rs 25 lakh over that," Jayant Singh told NDTV.

The hospital has denied the allegations. "We categorically deny assertions or allegations of any bribe being paid to Jayant Singh, father of late Adya Singh, who was treated for dengue shock syndrome at the Fortis Memorial Research Institute," it claimed in a statement.

Adya was admitted to Fortis on August 31 with severe dengue. She died on September 14.
 The 41-page inquiry report notes that the hospital is guilty of "negligence, unethical and unlawful acts" and that it made up to 108 per cent profit on medicines given to the little girl.

The hospital "deliberately used expensive medicines rather than generic and affordable medicines," the report says. Some of the consumables used by the hospital were overcharged by 717 per cent.

There was 'injudicious use of consumables' like syringes, gloves, it says, and different brands with a huge price difference were used for the same drug.

The report also says that in violation of rules, the hospital provided a basic life support ambulance - which lacked oxygen and other facilities - for the parents to take away Adya, instead of an advanced one.

Speaking to NDTV recently, the girl's father had shared an account of what he alleges is extreme apathy. The ambulance driver allegedly demanded the sheet in which the child was wrapped.