India Coronavirus Dispatch: Pvt hospitals overcharge despite govt orders

Foreign study goes for a toss, migrants left out of govt schemes, and five things India must do before it has a vaccine--news on how the country is dealing with the pandemic

Fleecing patients: A private hospital in Delhi offered a cover package worth Rs 4 lakh. Days after a patient was admitted, the bill came to Rs 7.5 lakh. Upon inquiry, an elaborate break-up of expenses was presented, some of which included things already mentioned in the hospital’s package! This was despite a Delhi government order putting a price cap on private hospitals. The daughter of the patient was soon involved in a long, arduous negotiation involving local lawmakers, civil society bodies and the hospital administration. At one point, she was told to pay the entire amount or take her mother