Thapamagar said doctors at the hospital told her that she can take her husband home. However, the hospital administration has asked her to pay the medical bills first. She complained that the hospital charged her exessively high though the government has said it would bear all the treatment cost of the earthquake victims."I cannot afford the medical bills. The hospital has asked me to pay the bills first before discharging my husband," complained Thapamagar. She said she spent all her money on medicines. She said she spent over Rs 50,000 to purchase medicines. Thapamagar's husband fell off from the scaffolding and broke one of his legs in the earthquake. He has a and sustained injuries to his body.
Biswas Shrestha of Betrawati Rasuwa shares a similar plight. He complained that he does not have money to get her mother Gangadevi, whose one leg has broken in the quake, discharged from the hospital. She was buried when her house collapsed. Shrestha rushed her to Trishuli hospital (Nuwakot District Hospital) first. Doctors at the district hospital referred her to the capital. "I have taken my mother to government hospitals but all of the beds there were fully occupied and the doctors told me not to worry about the treatment cost, as the government has promised to bear the treatment cost of earthquake victims," complained Shrestha.
Shrestha then took her injured mother to Kantipur Dental and General Hospital, where the hospital asked him to deposit Rs 10,000 and also made him pay for medicines. He complained that the hospital administration has asked him to pay the medical bills before discharging his mother.
"I had come to ministry earlier also. When the officials called the hospital, they denied forcing me to pay the medical bills," he complained. He said concerned officials at the ministry have promised to send a team to the hospital to monitor the siutation and help discharge his mother.
Similarly, Maina Rai, wife of Laxman Rai, whose leg was fractured in the quake, was found pleading with the officials at the ministry to help her discharge her husband from the same hospital. "I cannot afford the hospital bills," she said. She said the hospital administration gave only 15 percent discount on bed charge and 10 per cent on doctor's fee. "They said a private hospital cannot give discount as declared by the government," she said.
Officials at the Health Emergency Operation Center (HEOC) at the ministry said every day around half a dozen relatives of patients reach the ministry with their complaints. "We have cautioned some and warned a few against charging earthquake victims," Tulsi Dahal at the MoHP said. He informed that the ministry has reimbursed Rs 63.2 million to hospitals to provide free treatment to earthquake victims.
"We have asked the hospitals not to charge the earthquake victims. Genuine earthquake victims should not worry about the treatment cost," said Dr Guna Raj Lohani, spokesperson at MoHP. He admitted though that some of the private hospitals have been charging the quake victims. "Private hospitals have supported us a lot. We encourage all to support the government in this difficult situation," said Dr Lohani.He said the ministry will pay the hospitals for the treatment of earthquake victims.
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