Kill bill,says WR
Railway Ministry stops payment to two BMC hospitals towards treatment of 7/11 victims, stating it is ‘unreasonable’ as it shows tea, civil repairs and telephone charges as expenditure
The Railway Ministry has asked Western Railway to stop payment to two BMC hospitals — KEM and Sion — for sending ‘unreasonable’ bills relating to the 7/11 serial blasts.
The bills running into lakhs, which are in the possession of Mumbai Mirror, include tea for VIP visits, civil repairs and even donation given by private individuals as expenditure related to the bomb blasts.
KEM hospital, for example, has sent a bill of Rs 12,21,098 detailing telephone, photocopying and spiral-binding charges of Rs 32,000. Under the item ‘Review meetings and VIP visits, urgent civil repairs and refreshments’, KEM has sent a bill of Rs 69,200. What got WR’s goat is an item called ‘Donations’ where a donation of Rs 2,51,630 by Apollo Pharmacy and Rs 3,160 by Saikrupa Medical and General Stores has been been included in the expenditure sheet submitted to WR.
Sion Hospital on its part has also run up a bill of Rs 10,64,221, which includes civil maintenance charges of Rs 1,85, 020 and electrical charges of Rs 96, 814, both of which the railways says has nothing do with the treatment of serial blasts victims.
Speaking to Mumbai Mirror from Delhi, Dr D K Das, director-general, Railway Health Services, confirmed he had asked the medical department of WR not to release payment to the two hospitals.
“The Railway Ministry has a clear format under which we pay for cost of beds, medicines, consultation, investigation, but not subheads like refreshments, civil repairs and telephone charges,” said Das. WR additional general manager Vivek Sahai also confirmed getting such bills which hadn’t been paid as yet.
“The railways has strived hard to admit the victims of the July 11 blasts at the best hospitals — private or government run — and spared no expense. We have paid out all the bills of private hospitals promptly. But we would have liked if the bills were a bit reasonable,” Sahai said.
KEM dean Dr N Kshirsagar first said she was unaware of the nitty-gritties of the bill as it was made by the Stores Department, but later said the bill was sent without any expectation of payment from the railways. “To the best of my knowledge and after talks with my superiors I would say we do not expect any remuneration, but I would still look into it,” Dr Kshirsagar said.
Sion Hospital dean Dr M E Yeolekar also promised to look into the matter, saying, “I haven’t received any correspondence from railways on this. If they do, we will certainly sit and sort out the matter. There can be difference of opinion between government agencies which can be definitely settled.”
Documents with Mirror show that WR paid Rs 2,59,46,185 to victims who were treated at private hospitals. The highest bill of Rs 885,921 was paid to Hinduja Hospital on October 10 for the treatment of Parag Sawant. Another victim, Vasai-resident Allwin D’Cunha was paid Rs 811,482 towards treatment at Lilavati Hospital.