On Saturday, #MaxHospital is trending on Twitter and there is a reason. It has got to do with a pic that has gone viral. The pic shows the costs being charged by the Max Super Speciality Hospital in Patparganj, Delhi, for treatment of Covid-19. For example, one-day charge for an ICU with ventilator more than Rs 72,000. Charges for the general ward is about Rs 25,000.

There has been much outrage over what Netizens have called "looting" by the hospital. Social media influencer Abhijit Majumder tweeted, "The Epidemic Act is in force. Why can’t the government take to task hospitals like Max who have turned COVID into a money-making festival?"

Following the criticism, the hospital issued a clarification. "A picture related to the pricing of COVID treatment at Max Patparganj (stated in some tweets as Max Gurgaon) is being circulated on social media. However, it did not carry all the facts such as inclusions of routine tests, routine medicines, doctor and nurse charges etc," Max wrote, detailing out the costs.

Even if the details are taken into account, the charges are believed to be too high. Neelesh Misra, a Netizen, wrote, "You have some gall to justify these costs?! What was the cost of a bed in a general ward before Covid? Rs. 5,000? Even those costs were exorbitant — it's obnoxious and unthinkable that HOSPITALS are costlier than 5 STARS! And now you multiply costs 5-6 times in a crisis?"

A picture related to the pricing of COVID treatment at Max Patparganj (stated in some tweets as Max Gurgaon) is being circulated on social media. However, it did not carry all the facts such as inclusions of routine tests, routine medicines, doctor and nurse charges etc. pic.twitter.com/ndjBxjFhw0

— Max Healthcare (@MaxHealthcare) June 12, 2020

The Epidemic Act is in force. Why can’t the govt take to task hospitals like Max who have turned #COVID into a money-making festival? pic.twitter.com/8iAO1C0qaF

— Abhijit Majumder (@abhijitmajumder) June 13, 2020