A complaint against a private hospital in Janata Darshan programme of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath forced the hospital administration to return the extra money it had charged for the treatment of one Ashish Pathak’s mother.

Pathak met the chief minister at the Janata Darshan on Friday and lodged a complaint against a private hospital in Agra that had charged exorbitant money for the treatment of his mother. The Chief Minister's Office took immediate cognisance, after which the district magistrate of Agra carried out an investigation in which the hospital was found guilty. The extra amount was recovered from the hospital and returned to Pathak the same day.

Ashish Pathak of Maurai village under Khandauli police station of Agra had admitted his mother, Gudiya Devi, to Yashwant Hospital and Trauma Center in New Agra. For the treatment which lasted for 17 days from April 23 to May11, exorbitant money was charged in the name of treatment.

Ashish complained that his mother was not put on a ventilator yet level three ventilator charge for six days amounting to Rs 1,50 lakh was charged. Besides, he said, the charge of the general ward was Rs 90,000 for 18 days and the visiting charge of the doctor was Rs 2,000 per day and for eight days he was charged Rs 16,000.

This was over and above Rs 34,000 charged as doctor’s fee. Medicines were also given at prices one-and-a-half times more than the market price, which amounted to Rs 1.49 lakh.

After Ashish lodged a complaint to the chief minister, the district magistrate of Agra started an investigation on the instructions of the government. In the investigation, the private hospital was found guilty.

“The extra money charged by the hospital was returned,” a government spokesman said.

Ashish thanked Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the help.