HOSPITAL SERVICES SHOULD BE STANDARDISED

Recently a retired official from the government sector said that he had some pain in the chest. He immediately visited a known private hospital and consulted a cardiologist. The doctor, after detailed examination suggested an Angioplasty surgery. Cost of the surgery would be Rs 1.5 lakhs, was the advice by the doctor. Our cardiac patient left the reputed private hospital and went straight to a district hospital and consulted the cardiologist there. After detailed examination our patient got admitted there and remained there for few days. The doctor then told him that he was fully cured and was discharged. The total expenditure in the hospital was said to be Rs 6,000/- plus. This may not be an isolated incident.

In the case of Angioplasty the private hospitals in Kerala charges around Rs 1.2 to Rs 1.6 lakhs. The surgery takes about 30 minutes to 2 hours. Depending upon the health condition of the patient the recovery may take about two weeks time. The DGHS has proposed to bring down the cost of Angioplasty by 40% i.e, Rs 85,000/- to Rs 55,000/-, in its Central Government Health Scheme empanelled hospitals.

Angioplasty is one of the many services millions of people seek from our hospitals. Out of these huge service seekers only a very few of our country can avail the same. Death is the open choice for such amount of poor people. Why this situation prevails in the so called largest democracy in the world?  Neither the Central Government nor the State Governments nor the people of this democratic nation are least bothered of the death of such amount of people. These governments are also not finding ways and means to bring poor people also within the reach of these types of costly medical services. Hospitals in our country have become sheer commercial establishments. The words service, aid etc have been deleted from our medical books.

Our governments should take necessary steps to make all hospital services within the reach of the common man of the country. While we elect a government and place on our head to rule us we want from them a comfortable and peaceful life. And they are to ensure to keep our income enhanced to the need of the day. Alternatively it is also the duty of the government to bring down the prices of essential goods and services in term with the income of the low and medium class people.

K V George