When treatment turns deadlier than the disease
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Many complain of fleecing by non-public hospitals regardless of realizing that they will’t save affected person
A 71-year-old from Bangarupalem mandal was rushed to a preferred non-public hospital at Vellore in Tamil Nadu, a couple of kilometres away from Chittoor, as he developed respiratory issues at a authorities COVID care centre a couple of days after he examined optimistic in the first week of May. After a week-long treatment, his physique was handed over to the relations however not earlier than they cleared a invoice of ₹15 lakh.
A 53-year-old authorities official close to Chittoor spent ₹2 lakh at a non-public COVID hospital on the outskirts of Chittoor early this month however discovered the treatment ‘very poor’. His household shifted him to a non-public hospital in Tirupati the place he was charged ₹7 lakh for 5 days which was diminished to ₹5 lakh following the ‘recommendation’ of an MLA. As the hospital was reluctant to deal with him additional, the affected person was shifted to a company hospital on the outskirts of Tirupati. The household had reportedly spent one other ₹3 lakh for 2 days of treatment right here, which included Remdesivir injections, however he couldn’t be saved.
The two households are intently associated to one another. Recalling their ordeal, a member of the family of the aged sufferer says: “We can fight COVID-19, but not the exploitation. We have no proof regarding the medical bills. At Vellore, instead of a bill we were given a slip of paper with a scribbled signature each time we paid the money. We were not allowed to pay the bills online. It was a big struggle to pool wads of currency. The final bill given to us was for only 25% of the amount collected from us.”
The youthful sister of the 53-year-old sufferer remarks: “We were absolutely helpless. Oral instructions were given to pay money with a threat that non-payment would hold up the treatment, leaving us with no choice. The fact that the bill was reduced by ₹2 lakh on the word of an MLA shows that it was highly inflated. Despite knowing well that they can’t save a patient, the hospitals are going to the extremes in exploiting the helpless.”
Lost mother and father
In one other case, an ophthalmologist from the district had misplaced his mom to COVID-19 a few months in the past even after spending ₹12 lakh for her treatment in a company hospital in Chennai. Last week, his 75-year-old father examined optimistic for the virus and complained of a gentle bother in respiratory. He walked right into a authorities COVID-19 hospital in Tirupati assuring his son with a smile, however on May 20 he was set free lifeless.
“After the bad experience in the corporate hospital, I got him admitted to a government hospital which also did not help. In order to get a bed, I had to almost fall at the feet of an influential political leader. Fear of government hospitals is forcing patients to approach the corporate ones and vice-versa. Whom to blame?” he laments.
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