Fortis charges over Rs 15 lakh to treat child with dengue

 

• Every person, especially who is doling out lakhs of rupees to hospital, is entitled to know the details for all such payments prior to payment and and justification thereof and whether the treatment is being done in right direction or not.
• Self certification that there is no negligence, no over billing done, all protocols followed etc are unacceptable when parents/children/relatives of the patient are kept in dark about the condition of patient deteriorating and at the end patient dies.
• Isolating the patient in ICU in the name of 'infection control' is another reason for trauma.
• The underlying reason is the greed of the corporate hospitals having invested crores of rupees in the hospital & its facilities and doctors who spend millions for acquiring their medical degree and post graduation degrees etc.
• Teaching, Medical and Justice dispensation are noble professions, and doctors and hospitals must follow ethics under all circumstances. Immorality and corruption in these professions are contemptible. Justification that their degradation is in line with general degradation of society as such, is unacceptable nonsense.
• Corporate hospitals & doctors charging exorbitant amounts resulted in abnormal premiums being paid by all insurers.
• Prima facie, 660 syringes and 2700 gloves indicates the whole bill is cooked up and the patient might have passed some days before. Only a thorough criminal investigation will bring truth to the forefront.

An elite class that is free to operate without limits - whether limits imposed 

by the rule of law or fear of the responses from those harmed by their behavior - 

is an elite class that will plunder, degrade, and cheat at will, and act endlessly 

to fortify its own power ... Glenn Greenwald

In the absence self discipline and adherence to ethical practices, robust consumer protection laws, active consumer awareness and ruthless law enforcement mechanisms, emulating liberalization and promoting private sector and destroying public sector is grossly injurious to semi literate societies like ours. Today, the condition of government hospitals and schools doesn't enthuse anyone to avail its services. Arogyasri, Tuition fee reimbursement etc seemingly does good for common man but in reality it fills coffers of corporate hospitals and fulfill greed of doctors while depriving precious funds for government colleges and hospitals. The realistic solution would be strong govt and non-profit trust hospitals virtually competing with corporate hospitals. Govt must increase its spending from present 1.2% of GDP to at least 5% of GDP on health care and also spending on school education from present 2.5% to over 5% of GDP, of course with transparency and accountability and corruption eliminated. This requires political will and administrative honesty apart from public patronizing.