Bombay High Court has asked the Maharashtra government if it has a regulatory mechanism to ensure that private hospitals and nursing homes don't overcharge for PPE kits and other ancillary items and fleece patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Sarang Kotwal was hearing a PIL filed by advocate Abhijeet Mangade. The petitioner alleged that some private hospitals in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane district are overcharging patients for ancillary items such as PPE kits, gloves and N95 masks.<br />'' <br />''The petitioner stated that his mother was admitted to a hospital in Thane for seven days in June for non-COVID-19 treatment and he was charged 72,806 rupees for PPE kits and other items. He also referred to another incident where a patient was charged over 16,000 rupees for a period of three days for PPE kits and other items by another hospital at Dadar in central Mumbai. Additional government pleader Nisha Mehra told the court that the state government had on May 21, issued a resolution capping hospital bed charges and cost of other items.<br />'' <br />''<span style="color: #222222;">The bench then sought to know how the government is keeping a tab on such hospitals and nursing homes. The court directed the state government and the two hospitals to file their affidavits responding to the petition and posted the matter for further hearing on August 7.</span><br />