Spending the last few days in a hospital has made me allergic to it. Not because of the peculiar smell or the sight of sick people, but because of the transformation of private hospitals into money minting machines. The govt ones have a different set of problems. Their standard of treatment has seen a downward spiral.
I am writing this on basis of my experience with both. I have worked with a government hospital earlier while my brother was recently admitted to a private one.
A single room would cost Rs 4500 + taxes per day, sounds like a hotel room, doesn’t it? They vouch for providing facilities such as a television, a spacious room with an extra couch and a luxurious bathroom with shower, tasty food and house cleaning 4 times a day. Apart from food and housecleaning, a person who is sick and probably in too much pain wouldn’t really care for a TV, a spacious room or a personal bath.
My dad wanted the best treatment for my brother and he didn't bother shelling out thousands of bucks for the same. But what about people who earn Rs 20,000 per month or even less, those who can’t afford a double room (Rs 2800 + taxes per day with no TV and a shared bathroom) , let alone a single room.
Ironically there is a maternity hospital in Delhi whose rooms are named as following: Maharaja Suite, Royal room, Economy room priced Rs 6000, Rs 4500 and Rs 3500 respectively.
Yes I understand, government hospitals are ‘the’ option and the last resort for those who aren't as fortunate as we are. But the post op care and hygiene measures are not up to the mark. Most of the times, there is no room for new patients to be admitted.
Having worked in a dental hospital during college days, I know how desperate the situation becomes. It was mandatory for the patients to undergo a general oral check up, along with X-rays, even if it was an emergency case. Then after almost 30-40 minutes they were given a card with all the clinical symptoms and treatment plan written. He then used to proceed to the concerned clinic for getting the treatment done, where he would have to wait for hours and hours.
Few days back I joined a hospital and was working under the guidance of a dentist. He always insisted that we suggest a lengthy treatment plan to a rich patient and a single seating treatment plan to a poor one. After a week I left the clinic because in the end I realised I am not cut out to be in this business.
I feel bad and sorry that doctors who run these big private hospitals forget the oath they take and become so money minded. Instead of caring about patient's health they focus more on their bank balance.
You are right upto an extent in what you said. Private hospital has made medicine as a money making business, and somewhere, this has also been the reasons why government hospitals aren't upto the mark. Medical tourism, upward looking class all have shown private hospital such a wealth and they have now been paying so much hefty sum to the doctors, that doctors hardly wanna work in government hospitals.
ReplyDeletePrivatization has also played key role in health budget cuts. Imagine, india's public health budget is <1%, where as some of the countries such as bangladesh has higher budget than this. UN/WHO recommends at least 5%!
You'd attended the talk on access to medicines. Neo-liberal policies too have changed things in India. Being a medical practitioner, my suggestion to you is to work with health movement in India (phm-india.org) or at least be a part of Medico-friends circle(http://www.mfcindia.org/)- a community of doctors and health activists who wanna change the system.
Hi prachi,
ReplyDeletei agree with u.. doctor profession which use to be 4 serving sick patients has become a Full time Business (of making Money from Everyone who can afford lengthy treatments). The TRUST that a DOCTOR & a patient had is no more.. it's really sad :(
FACTS -->
The size of the Indian healthcare industry is estimated at Rs. 1,717 billion in 2007. It is estimated to grow by 2012 to Rs. 3,163 billion at 13% . The private sector accounts for nearly 80% of the healthcare market, while public expenditure accounts for 20%.
SAD but TRUE
@ Sejal- Doctors are being paid nicely even in Govt hospitals, but the infrastructure is poor along with post op and other facilities.
ReplyDeleteI will definately check both the links and do watever i can!! Thanks
@ Asam- when u pay almost 50 lacs ( fee of a private colg) to be a doc..u get so bitter abt it that eventually all you want to do is earn that money back ( even by wrong means).
The problem is right from the start, when a person joins a med/dental college. I hope things improve in future.
I wish there was a link to "like" this post :)
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with all that you have said... private hospitals do want to shell out every single penny they can from whoever they can... Govt. hospitals don't pay bad... but they lack the basic infrastucture and are generally so over burdened that doctors have no option but to pay less attention to individual patients.
And yes... after 5-6 years of total slogging to be a doctor... another 1-2 to be a specialist... or spending a hefty amount the "donation" way... frustrataion is justified. Though I do not blame the system, I just think that we have fewer doctors than needed. Also, there are no proper ways to verify the need of numerous tests ordered for a simple problem.
Heartening to see a medico having the stomach to be truthful about her own means of living. I wish more IT engineers who give in to the 'free market rule' had it in them to follow suit.
ReplyDeleteClearly, the fault primarily lies with the deplorably inadequate state expenditure on healthcare. The other aspect is, inevitably, corruption. Having said that. we have no moral right to lambast a medical assistant until we, many of whom are paid twice the salary he is, give up all forms of bribing.
The ultimate solution, I guess, involves a long, arduous battle with the system, which Prasanna and others from PHM (http://phm-india.org/) have been waging tirelessly. Hats off to them! Hope we can chip in, sooner or later, in some capacity.
Right Pulkit, Infact being a part of such an organisation, we have the means to do things, launch campaigns and do whatever we can.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes we will have to start somewhere!!!