A seven-year-old girl admitted in Fortis Hospital, Gurgaon, died of dengue-related complications and the hospital has presented a bill of over Rs 15 lakhs to her parents. As per the Indian Express report, the family of the deceased girl, Aadya, alleged that they were billed Rs 15.6 lakh for the two-week hospital stay, including for 611 syringes and 1,546 pairs of gloves and an additional Rs 900 for the hospital gown that Aadya was wearing.
Last year, Gurgaon district authorities raided the hospital for overcharging patients for dengue test, even after issuance of mandatory medical advisory.
Healthcare is one of the most neglected sectors in India and with sad state of affairs in the government hospitals, private hospitals have managed to establish a monopoly over the entire system. But it isn’t only private hospitals, even government hospitals have long been accused of fleecing patients.
1. Apollo patient death, West Bengal
As per an Indian Express report, in February this year, Sanjoy Roy lost his life allegedly because the hospital did not start treatment until the money was deposited. The police and the state health department, each carried out separate probe.
2. Overpriced cardiac stents
According to an Indian Express report, this year around 30 hospitals including Max Healthcare (Saket, Delhi), Lilavati Hospital, Metro Hospital (Faridabad), PGI Chandigarh were overcharging patients for cardiac stents. National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) issued showcause notices to several hospitals.
(Also read: Get your medicines at cheaper price from Railway stations, soon!)
3. Mumbai hospitals selling medical items without MRP
Hospitals in Mumbai were charging four times the MRP amount on medical commodities like catheter, balloon device, angiography catheter, fabric natural fiber, IV catheter, guide wire, single limb anaesthesia, gloves and blood collector, as reported by the Indian Express.
4. Karnataka government hospital nurses and ward boys fleecing patients
Not only private hospitals, the practice of fleecing patients is equally rampant in government hospitals as well. As per this New Indian Express report, relatives alleged that nurses of the Raichur Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) demand ‘Rs 400-600’ for each delivery while ward boys demand Rs 100- 200 to shift new mothers to post-delivery wards.
5. Rise in Kashmir’s caesarean deliveries
In April this year, the Doctors Association of Kashmir (DAK) exposed the dirty underbelly of the medical profession armed with facts and figures. The DAK President and noted medico Dr Nisar Ul Hassan said, “Doctors are motivated by money to perform needless surgical deliveries.”
And due to this caesarean delivery rates shot up to 80 per cent in Kashmir, which according to the WHO standards should exceed 10 per cent.
(Also read: Caesarean delivery rates rise upto a shocking 80% in Kashmir government hospitals)
