Tura Civil Hospital clarifies on ‘exorbitant fee’ allegation

TURA: The authorities of Tura Civil Hospital (TCH), have refuted the charge made by the A’chik Youth Council (AYC) who, in a recent statement accused the hospital of overcharging for a simple blood processing.
In a statement issued here recently, Superintendent of the hospital, Dr Minakshi A Sangma clarified that processing fee for blood is charged from replacement donors at the rate prescribed by the National Aids Control Organization (NACO) which is Rs 250 per unit for General Ward patients, Rs 500 for Private Ward patients and free for Thallasemia, Haemophillia and BPL patients.
She said that several mandatory tests have to be conducted before blood transfusion for which different reagent kits are required which are expensive.
“These reagent kits and the blood bags are purchased   by the Hospital Management Society and are not supplied by the government. Though the cost is high, the fee charged is subsidized as per the guidelines of the Government of India. So, the ‘exorbitant fee’ as stated by the organization is unfounded,” Dr Sangma said.
Dr Sangma further added that the revocation of the fee as demanded by the AYC can only be done by NACO, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in New Delhi.