Hyderabad: At a time when coronavirus is spreading alarmingly across India and giving rise to panic among the people, the poor have no other option but to take loans to bear the medical expenses at overcharging private hospitals.
How can victory against coronavirus be possible when hospitals, considered the temples for health, are turning into institutions of looting?
Even when their financial resources do not permit treatment at private hospitals, every year around six crore people fall into abject poverty by raising loans to save their loved ones. It has become a big challenge for the people to protect themselves and for the government to protect them with speedy and efficient medical services, at a time when over 40,000 people have succumbed to the disease and over 22 lakh positive cases.
Governments, which initially barred COVID treatment at government hospitals, later allowed private services in the wake of increasing cases. The Telangana High Court had clarified in the third week of May that health is a fundamental right of the people and that they have the freedom to seek treatment wherever they want.
However, there are strong reasons for the High Court of Telangana to express its anger on private hospitals.
While the government says beds in government hospitals are empty and medical care is free, thousands of families are struggling to make ends meet in the hope that quality medical care in private hospitals will save lives. Bills going up to lakhs, denial of health insurance facility, black money payment demands, and atrocities of refusing to hand over bodies if the bill is not paid in full are shocking.
The High Court's anger came to light during the hearing of a public interest litigation filed against the attitude of private hospitals, which have turned into 'cash' machines. The government expressed its anguish that the hospitals which got free or cheap land with a promise that they would render free service to marginalised sections of the society, are now not staying true to their words.
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It is high time that the doctors, who received the nation's accolade as frontline warriors in the fight against coronavirus, self-introspect.
Medical treatment is not a business wherein one should reap profits as per demand. At the same time, nobody wants all private hospitals to give up reasonable profits and incur losses. The Supreme Court suggested to the Centre that in small towns, COVID treatment should be taken up for lower rates. The Centre submitted to the court that it would advise the states to talk to the hospitals and ask them not to collect unreasonable rates and fix reasonable rates.
In accordance with Centre's directions, ten state governments, including Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, have fixed rates for COVID treatment. However, it is also a fact that the corporate hospitals made it clear that the rates are not viable for them. It is also a fact that the government has given exemption for some costly medicines, expensive diagnostic tests, PPE kits and masks.
Without bothering about all these rates, hospitals continue to charge Rs 50,000 to one lakh per day. If a hospital turns into a 'looting centre', how can we come out victorious against coronavirus?
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