Marol hospital fire: Patient clears bill as ESIC fails to keep promise

Once again the Andheri-based hospital promises to reimburse the amount when their office starts functioning

A day after the ESIC Hospital authorities promised Rajesh Maurya and his family that they would clear the amount Mulund Hospital had billed against his treatment, his uncle Rakesh Maurya had to take a loan from the company he works in to clear the dues and get him discharged. However, once again the Andheri-based hospital has assured the family in writing that the amount would be reimbursed once their office starts functioning.

On Wednesday, the hospital's bill had mentioned an amount of '16,000, but as Rajesh had to stay for another day because of all this confusion, Rakesh made a final payment of '18,113. Speaking to mid-day, Rakesh said, "I paid the amount after taking a loan from the company I work for. It needs to be reimbursed at the earliest."

He further said, "ESIC had promised to clear the bill. Following mid-day's report, the authorities asked us to pay the amount and submit the bill with the hospital administration once their office starts functioning. They said the amount would be reimbursed."

When contacted, Dr Rajesh Swami, director of ESIC Hospital, said, "I have asked the person concerned to look into the matter. It will be resolved soon. The bills will definitely be taken care of.

Unending agony
Rajesh was undergoing treatment at ESIC Hospital for a knee injury. It had been just two hours that he had come out of the operation theatre when the fire broke out on Monday. He was later shifted to Mulund Hospital. However, his brother Pramod Maurya, who was there at the hospital with him, became paraplegic after he fell from the third floor, trying to climb down by a rope made from bed-sheets. He is currently on ventilator support at Cooper Hospital.

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