Virus patient charged Tk 86,000 for '30 minutes' of oxygen therapy

A COVID-19 patient has complained of being overcharged for oxygen therapy at Dhaka’s Anwer Khan Modern Medical College Hospital which has recently been under the scanner for its billing practices.

Md Mozammel Haque claimed he was billed Tk 358,000 for 16 days of treatment at the medical facility. The bill stated that he had been charged Tk 86,000 for oxygen treatment.

The former government official said he had been given oxygen for 10 minutes in three days, making a total of 30 minutes.

His son Faisal Haque told bdnews24.com that he informed the doctor in-charge that his father was having a slight difficulty breathing on his day fifth day at the hospital. The doctor then prescribed that he be administered oxygen for 10 minutes to alleviate the condition.

“But on the day of discharge, we saw that the bill for the oxygen was Tk 86,400,” he said. “We asked how it could be so expensive. They told us it was Tk 400 per hour. I calculated that my father was charged for 213 hours of oxygen therapy. Is it possible that they kept a person on oxygen for 9 days straight?”

Mozammel, who is retired, lives in Chattogram. He took a test for COVID-19 in Chattogram on May 27 after developing its symptoms. The result came back positive the next day.

Faisal said that his father lived alone in Chattogram so he was brought to Anwer Khan Modern Hospital in Dhaka on May 30 for ease of treatment. He was discharged on Jun 14.

“My father didn’t have too much trouble,” Faisal said. “He was admitted with the understanding that he would only be there temporarily.”

Mozammel told bdnews24.com that his oxygen saturation was good during most of his stay, but fell to 92-93 on one occasion and the doctor was informed of the matter.

“The doctor said that if you feel too unwell, you can receive some oxygen for 10 minutes. I am an elderly man, and I swear that I only took oxygen for 10 minutes on three different days.”

“Everyone has come forward to support one another in these troubled times, but they are taking advantage of it,” he said.

Faisal alleges that many of the necessary items for the hospital stay had to be bought and brought in from outside. The cabin room was also quite small, he said.

Mozammel says no specialist came to see him during the course of his stay in the hospital.

“I never saw the doctor with my own eyes. They didn’t come to see me. The nurses came once in a while. But the duty doctors have a consultation fee of Tk 49,000.”

According to his bill, Mozammel was charged Tk 119,000 for his cabin and bed, Tk 45,400 for hospital services, Tk 11,200 for nursing facilities, Tk 86,400 for oxygen and Tk 49,000 for doctor and consultant fees.

Including additional fees and service charges, the total amount came to Tk 383,759. Mozammel paid Tk 358,000, while the rest was written off as a discount.

Asked about the allegations, Anwer Khan Modern Hospital Director Prof Dr Ehteshamul Hoque told bdnews24.com:

“I do not want to say anything on the matter. We have a media cell, please discuss it with them. I can let you know who to talk to in a bit.”

Dr Hoque did not follow up with the contact information for the spokesperson in the media cell.

He did not pick up when contacted on his mobile phone number. He did not respond to an SMS either.

Anwer Hossain Khan, the chairman of the Hospital, is also the general secretary of the Bangladesh Private Medical Association. He is the Awami League MP for Lakshmipur-1.

On Jun 2 another COVID-19 survivor alleged that Anwer Khan Modern Hospital had overbilled him and would not let him leave until he paid up.

The hospital reimbursed him after bdnews24.com reported on the matter.

At the time several other patients had also complained that the hospital overcharged them.