KIMS emerged as biggest profiteering Private Hospital out of COVID Pandemic

KIMS  emerged 
as  biggest  profiteering Private Hospital  out  of
COVID Pandemic , promoted  by  Chief 
Minister, Odisha

(  exposed 
under RTI)

·        
COVID  pandemic 
situation was  used as  opportunity 
by  Govt. of  Odisha 
to  give maximum profit  to 
Private  hospitals  at 
the  cost  of Govt. hospital  in Odisha.

 ·        
On 8^th
April, Suresh Mohapatra, the then Development 
Commissioner  wrote  a letter 
to  all the  Collectors 
under  the  subject 
captioned  “ Guidelines  for  admission 
of patients  and  setting claims  for 
COVID  Hospitals”  that  the hospitals shall be  reimbursed 
on per bed  day  basis 
irrespective  of whether  the bed 
is occupied  or  not , wherever it is fixed  as such.

 ·        
This draconian
letter  was  designed with 
ulterior  motive to  give 
huge  profit from the public fund  to Private 
Hospitals  in Odisha by   calculating  
bed charge  separately  from 
other charges (  consumable  item cost) .

 ·        
This  profit ( 
Public Fund)  helped  Achyut Samant 
to  expand  its  
medical  business  to other 
three  districts i.e,  Mayurbhanj , Kondhamal and  Bolangir. 
He  succeeded  in opening 
three KIMS ( Kalinga 
Institute  of Medical
Science)   hospital, Bhubaneswar  with 
full  infrastructure  in name 
of  providing  health service  to     COVID   patients.

 ·        
When  millions 
of  people  were 
struggling  to  survive 
and recover  from COVID  pandemic and 
crying  for  food , Odisha  bureaucracy 
was  busy  in 
looting  COVID  fund 
and  profiting  to  private 
hospitals , besides 
rendering  service  to COVID Patients.

 ·        
96% of the total expenses
( Rs.  41 crore 
) reimbursed  to KIMS, Bhubaneswar  is 
only  for  bed 
charge  and rest  4% ( 2 crores )  expenses  for 
patients charge ( consumable items). Such a huge profit was given to a private
hospital by Odisha bureaucracy.

 ·        
CAG Audit, if
done  will no doubt  open Pandora’s 
box  of  loot 
of  public  fund 
in name  of  management 
of COVID  pandemic by  Govt. of Odisha.

 Dear friends

When State  Govt.
declared 500  bedded  COVID 
hospital each  ready  in KIMS 
and  SUM Hospital in 1^st
week of April,20  just  after   declaration 
of COVID  lockdown with  media 
showing  and highlighting  picture 
of  Mr. V.K.Pandian  visiting 
the  full-fledged COVID  hospitals, 
I was  in doubt  how it 
happened . Was  1000 bedded  Hospital 
really required  for COVID  patient, when 
not  a single COVID  patient 
was  identified during that time .  I had 
smelt  some  motive 
behind  such  declaration. 
In name  of   high profile preparation  for management  of COVID 
situation, the  Odisha  bureaucracy 
explored  opportunity of  giving 
maximum  profit  to private 
hospitals  by dragging PSUs into
fold. PSUs  like  Odisha 
Mining  Corporation was  used 
to disburse  expenses  for 
KIMS COVID  hospital of  KIIT. 
Accordingly, immediately  in first
week of April 20,  a tripartite  MOU 
was  signed  with KIMS , Bhubaneswar   OMC 
and  Govt. of  Odisha. Later 
on circular  was  issued   
chalking  out  modalities 
for  giving  maximum 
profit  to  private 
hospital  in name  of 
treatment  of COVID  patients.

Bed  charge ( 
Rs.3000 per General bed  and  Rs. 5000 per ICU bed )  was  
consciously separated  from
patients’ charge (  consumable items)  and sperately 
caluculated  in order  to give 
huge  benefit  to 
KIMS. On 8^th April, Suresh Mohapatra, the then
Development  Commissioner  wrote 
a letter  to  all the 
Collectors  under  the 
subject  captioned  “ Guidelines  for 
admission  of patients  and 
setting claims  for  COVID 
Hospitals”  that  the hospitals shall be  reimbursed 
on per bed  day  basis 
irrespective  of whether  the bed 
is occupied  or  not , wherever it is fixed  as such.  
Accordingly  a district  level committee  was constituted to  finalise 
the  fixed rental charge  ( on per bed 
per day basis)  and expected  variable 
cost  for  operation of 
COVID  hospitals.

The 
decision  “ per day  per bed 
charge “ whether  it  is occupied 
or  not”   profited 
private  hospitals  hugely. The information provided by  Odisha Mining 
Corporation  is as follows.

Payment  Status 
of  KIMS  COVID 19 
Hospital

(  Provided 
by  Odisha Mining  Corporation 
on 25.3.21 )

Pradip Pradhan

M-9937843482

Date – 13.5.21