Jul 10, 2010 11:37 PM
6314 Views
I have been to my share of hospitals and some. A sensitive throat can do that to any guy especially when it leads to a bad cold and fever and all the extras that normally comes free with suchafflictions. So I have experienced the tragedy that is privatehealthcare in India. And I have seen it all over and it makes me sad.But my experience with Manipal Hospital in Bangalore blows my mind because it makes for a prime study for corporate greed.My aunt woke up one night with terrible backache. She could barely move. She had to literally crawl to use the bathroom and it brought tears to my eyes because we were so helpless as any effort to carry her would make the pain more unbearable. We decided to take her to the hospital and the nearest was Manipal. So we had to literally watch her crawl from the bedroom to the car and it was tragic. She is like a mother to me.We reached Manipal and took her to the Emergency room. They gave her a pain killer and somewhere down the line theyrealizedthat being a listed dependent on my cousin's mediclaim she could claim a handsome amount on the same. Along comes the doctor on duty and declares that she might need an operation based on an initial examination and to confirm that a test was needed. And presto - it being after midnight the test could only be done in the morning which meant that she had to be admitted and the naturally the quote on the estimate for mediclaim was the maximum that they could charge on account of my cousin. Meanwhile my aunt was better now, the painkillers having taken effect. The doctor advised admittance and we being laymen agreed -for her health, like most of us would.Next morning she was wheeled away for her test.Andthat was the last we heard about the test or its result. Every query about the test would result in stonewalling by the staff. And the first day went by. We weren't too worried then as my aunt was near help if she needed it and then we had the mediclaim too. The second day however when the report still didn't make it way, we were worried and a little irritated too. My aunt was much better and she didn't need too many medicines too. However our repeated requests to see the report still wasn't bearing fruit as the doctor responsible wouldn't come and meet us at all. This went on for so long that finally we confronted the nurses on duty. They finally presented a junior doctor who had no idea what was going on, who too denied knowing the status of the report. Meanwhile one of the nurses who was a native of the same state as us admitted after a bitharanguing that the report had returned on the first day itself and there was nothingwrongwith my aunt. But since a large sum of money had already beenapproved, Manipal had to bill us to claim it.This was alsocorroborated by the junior doctor after wethreatened to take action( we told them we will go to the media). Finally the doctor in charge marches in - with an attitude that went against everything that a doctor is meant to be - and produces the missing report, pronounces her healthy and fit for discharge! This happened so fast that it left us breathless! And very angry. All this so that they could charge us more. It transpired that a bit of overwork had laid my aunt low and all she needed was some bed rest. And "Money-Pal" opened our eyes that day, that we aam aadmi are pretty much stupid if we believe that the fiduciary relationship between people and doctors really exists, or ever did.So my advice, beware of Manipal. However unfortunately the other private hospitals are not any better. So the next thing, we can do is get decent mediclaim. But with the recent move to ban cashless admittance by some insurance companies, that will also prove difficult. So hope hard that you dont have the experience we did. Or best go to a government hospital for a second look.
