Patients at Pune’s Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital not benefitting from Rs 8 crores CSR fund?

Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital was created by the Aditya Birla Group to serve the needs of all societal groups and as a memorial to the late Aditya Vikram Birla. In the Pune suburb of Pimpri Chinchwad is this opulent multi-super specialty hospital. This hospital is run by the Aditya Birla Group and is set on 16 acres. However, it appears that the Aditya Birla Group is imitating private, lucrative institutions and disregarding the importance of providing for the needs of patients and society.

Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital received Rs 8 crores donation to its CSR fund

Aditya Birla Finance Limited donated 8 crores CSR fund to Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital for the promotion of health care in the 2020–21 fiscal year. Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital received this Rs 8 crore CSR fund from the implementing agency Aditya Birla Capital Foundation. However, despite receiving CSR funds, this hospital still does not provide free care or reasonably priced services.

Hospital detaining patients unless bill is cleared?

According to reports, Aditya Birla Hospital allegedly refuses to release financially struggling patients who qualify for the Indigent Patient Scheme (for those who live below the poverty line) unless the hospital’s debt is paid in full.

When Sanjay Arde admitted his father for paralysis treatment at Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital in 2018, something similar occurred. Sanjay was already listed as being “below the poverty level” on his ration card. A few days following his father’s treatment, Sanjay claims that the hospital administration issued him a charge for roughly Rs 2 lakhs despite the fact that he had submitted all the necessary paperwork under the Indigent Patient Scheme.

Family had to file FIR to get patient discharged from hospital

Sanjay considered getting his father transferred from Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital to a government hospital because he was unable to pay the bill. However, it is said that Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital put pressure on him to pay the full amount of the bill and would not let Sanjay’s father leave the hospital until the debt was paid. After an FIR was filed with the police, Sanjay’s father was admitted to a government hospital in the presence of the police, where he later passed away.

Patient’s family handed sizable bill for blood test

The tale of Amol, a recent case, is comparable. Just a few days ago, Amol Ubale visited the hospital to see his father’s doctor. In the name of the test, a sizable bill was given to Amol. Amol was charged Rs 1600 by the hospital for a blood test. Amol stated, “Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital is a philanthropic hospital,” when The CSR Journal spoke with him. Therefore, this organisation imposes expensive costs on patients rather than providing care at a charity cost. While accepting CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) funding, the hospital should provide care to patients for nothing or at a significantly reduced cost.

High consultation fee

In addition, we discovered that two of the hospital’s doctors charge consultation fees of Rs. 750 and Rs.1000 when The CSR Journal inquired about seeing a diabetes doctor. Even outside the building, there are posters selling expensive examinations. It follows that patients at Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital are charged the same fees as those at a private hospital.

Where is the CSR fund being used?

Consequently, how and where were the Rs 8 crores raised through CSR used? When The CSR Journal requested this information from the hospital administration, they provided no response. Rekha Dubey, the hospital’s CEO in this instance, declined to speak on camera. Additionally, we asked the Aditya Birla Group for information via email but got no answer.

The Aditya Birla Group and Mrs. Rajashree Birla might have forgotten that achieving social concern requires providing free or inexpensive care to all marginalised groups in society.