Incident Reports

Private hospitals charging quake-hit patients high

2015-05-11

Bagmati, Lalitpur, Bagmati

 Although the government has announced free-medical services to the quake-victims, some private hospitals are found to have overcharged their patients under various pretexts, according to Bishnu Prasad Timalsina, Secretary of the Forum for Protection of Consumer Rights Nepal. Secretary Timalsina shared that the Madhyapur Hospital in Madhyapur Thimi, Bhaktapur, Madam Memorial Hospital, Thamel among other private hospitals were found to have offered the discount to the patients, but after covertly hiking the fee by 40-50 percent. Some hospitals were found to have offered those medicines for free which could not cost dearly. Not only that, but the Forum has also identified some retails shops selling off essential relief materials like tents, zinc corrugated sheets, and food items for the arbitrary price. Similarly, some of the relief materials distributed to the quake-victims were found to be of mediocre quality. The Forum has also shared that it is to draw the attention of the concerned ministries and government bodies towards it and urged them to take necessary actions against the culprits.
Details and Impacts
Violent / Non-violent Nonviolent
Primary Form Black Marketing
Primary Cause Issues related to the delivery of government aid programs (e.g. earthquake rehab/recon)
Secondary Cause Issues related to the delivery of non-government aid programs (e.g. earthquake rehab/recon)
Actor 1 - Number of people n/a
Actor 1 - Affiliations Health sector/health workers, doctors , Other private sectors
Actor 1 - Youth na
Actor 2 - Number of people n/a
Actor 2 - Affiliation (Target) Group of civilians (only Target)
Actor 2 - Youth na
National/Online Media

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