FDA: Overpriced stent claims against Lilavati, KEM untrue

Mumbai: Two of the three complaints against hospitals for overcharging of cardiac stents have turned out to be bogus, the state Food and Drug Administration said on Monday. The complaints were received by the New Delhi-based National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy (NPPA) on their helpline and forwarded to the state’s drug regulatory body for investigation.

The NPPA has, so far, received complaints against three hospitals from Maharashtra, including two from the city—Lilavati Hospital in Bandra and civic-run

KEM Hospital

in Parel. “After a thorough investigation, we found that both these hospitals have adhered to the price regulation. KEM Hospital, particularly, has treated most patients under the Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayee Arogya Yojana, where there is no question of charging patients at all,” said Om Prakash Sadhwani, assistant commissioner,

FDA

.

Sadhwani added that the records of

Lilavati Hospital

too were scrutinized. “We studied all their records since February 13, the day on which the price ceiling notification had come into effect. The

Lilavati

complainant’s name could not be traced in their patient records. Even their phones were unreachable,” Sadhwani said.

KEM Hospital dean Dr Avinash Supe said the complaint was untrue as the hospital’s stent charges were already less than the capped prices. Lilavati, too, said they have not charged beyond the stipulated rates. Sadhwani said the FDA will continue to investigate complaints, even if a few of them seemed to be mischievous.