Mumbai: Privately-run Global Hospital at Parel allegedly added a zero in two bills and took extra money from a family that had brought in a three-year-old girl suffering from stomach infection for treatment. After the family protested, the hospital claimed it was a technical error whereby a Rs 2,700 bill became a Rs 27,000 one and a Rs 1,800 bill became a Rs 18,000 one.

Yana Mehta, 3, was admitted to the hospital with stomach infection on April 13 and discharged on Saturday. At the time of discharge, the hospital charged her father, Dinesh Mehta, a businessman, Rs 71,000, whereas the bill should have been only Rs 30,000. When contacted, Global Hospital CEO, Manpreet Sohal said that  “There was a technical error that was identified, and we immediately contacted the insurance company and rectification was done.” Mr Mehta, who has a saree business, found a glaring discrepancy of nearly Rs 45,000 in the hospital bill, which he said was done by adding a zero to two bills. Mr Mehta said the hospital tried to dupe them by producing an inflated bill. “I have a medi-claim of my daughter and I paid the entire amount of Rs 71,000. It was only after returning home that I realised itsomething was wrong,” he said.

“I cross-checked the amount and found quite a few glaring discrepancies, such as the doctor’s visiting fee was Rs 2,700 while the bill amount was Rs 27,000 and his second visit was Rs 1,800 but it was billed as Rs 18,000,” he said. “Such things should not be spared. How come there is an error in doctor’s visiting fees. Elsewhere, poor or illiterate people will have difficulty dealing with such mistakes.”