The healthcare services in our country have become so money minded that it has become impossible to get genuine doctor or any hospital whose first aim is about patient’s welfare and not commercial profits.Every second day one hear about the malpractices in hospital and sub standard medical services, which makes you wonder what has happened to once known as noble profession.You hear about doctors taking cuts from pathology lab for recommending patients for some investigative tests or General Practitioner taking cuts from Specialist Doctors for recommending patients. I can also tell you about this from my personal experience- in the year 1999, I had some cardiac problem and was to be hospitalised for few days and it my sheer good luck the cardiologist who was treating me was one of the rare kind of doctor. After I was discharged, went for follow up with him in his private clinic, there he told me that if had recommended angiography for you I would have got cut of Rs 5 K and for recommending angioplasty or By Pass Surgery the cut would be Rs 25 K, . He further added I am not that type of Doctor who unnecessary recommends some procedures, when it is not required. But most of the practicing Consulting doctors recommends for procedures even if it is not required, just to make some extra bucks. By the grace of god with little change in my life style, I did not have any further complications. This is one of the biggest malpractices in the medical profession.
Second malpractice which has come to notice recently that hospital over charge for the use of medical devices and even re using the medical devices which are meant for single use. Recently Maharashtra govt has filed cases against 7 hospital for the re use of catheters meant for one time use, after sterilising them as well as charging multiple patients for the same. Fortis Hospital in Mulund Mumbai, Hiranandani Healthcare in Vashi Navi Mumbai, Platinum Hospital in Mulund Mumbai, BSERS Hospital in Andheri Mumbai, Wockhardt Heart Hospital in Nagpur, Sahyadari Hospital in Pune and Kamalnayan Bajaj Hospital in Aurangabad were found re using the equipment. This came out after FDA raids. Few hospitals were not charging separately for the re used equipment but in the package the item was mentioned, and the others were reselling the re used equipment.
How did the hospitals operate- in the case of Fortis Mulund- Balloon catheter was bought for Rs 6000, billed it first use patient at Rs 26,000 and the second user at Rs 20,000. Similarly some other brand bought for Rs 7,500, billed it the first user at Rs 22,000 and second user at Rs 11,000. Another item guide wire bought for Rs 2,500, billed it to first patient at Rs 6,750 and second patient at rs 3,220. In the case of Hiranandani Vashi- balloon Catheter bought for Rs 9,300 , charged first patient Rs 22,000 and for second Rs 10,500. The list is endless.
The other malpractice which is prevalent in the hospital is very serious in nature but generally ignored earlier – you will observe that most of these hospitals are owned by some charitable trusts. These type of hospitals in Mumbai city were given land at concessional rates and additional FSI on the condition that they would reserve 10% of beds for free treatment of the poor and 10% beds for subsidised treatment for weaker section of the society, and govt has laid certain norms to be followed in this regards, but hardly any hospitals follow them, and when they are forced with this law then in that case they admit the patient but generally give them sub standard services.
Next one is, if you go to hospital first thing they will ask you is whether you are covered Mediclaim Insurance, as they have tie up with all the Third Party Administrators (TPA), they will jack up their rates. As your insurance company is paying therefore you are not bothered, but in the bargain the hospital make extra buck.
The above mentioned incidents are all related to private hospitals, what happens in govt run hospital is rather different, where you have to pay under hand at each level to get the services.
The primary healthcare is every citizen’s right as per our constitution, but alas govts at centre and state level have failed to address this issue in a proper way.
So what you say my friends.
Awaiting your feed backs/comments/views.
Minoo
So true anil bhaiya who will know this better than us who have had first hand experience.
R. N. Mungale.
It is sad but true.
Bobby
Am married to a doctor, serving in a charitable hospital and have been interacting with her colleagues for nearly 40 years and find many of these allegations too general in nature. In fact like any other profession it is a few who malign an entire profession! They are still a committed lot and with all the doctor bashing going around it’s time we protected..!