Private hospitals must display price list of treatments: Jarkiholi

BELAGAVI: Minister and Belagavi district in charge Ramesh Jarkiholi instructed health department officials to take initiative to display price list of different treatments in private hospitals compulsorily in the backdrop of increasing number of public complaints regarding fleecing of money in private hospitals.

He was speaking in a review meeting held at Chikkodi on Tuesday. According to the rules, the price list must be displayed in private hospitals. As most of the hospitals haven’t displayed price list, officials should visit concerned hospitals and take necessary action, minister said.

Kudachi MLA P Rajiv brought to notice of the minister that generally in snakebite cases expenditure ranges from Rs 6,000 – Rs 8,000 thousand, but some hospitals are charging Rs 40,000 to Rs, 50,000. Considering it seriously, Jarkiholi instructed officials to take the issue on priority.

Replying to the complaint of Nippani MLA Shashikala Jolle about absence of medical officers in primary health centres, the minister directed officials to install GPS tracking system in the vehicles of medical officers in the district. MLAs Duryodhan Aihole, Ganesh Hukkeri, zilla parishad president Asha Aihole and assistant commissioner Geeta Koulagi were present in the meeting.