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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Are Chennai private hospitals turning away poor patients? -Christin Mathew Philip

Are Chennai private hospitals turning away poor patients? -Christin Mathew Philip

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published Published on Sep 21, 2015   modified Modified on Sep 21, 2015
-The Times of India

CHENNAI:
Corporation of Chennai insists that private hospitals reserve 10 per cent of their beds for admission of poor patients free of cost according to the guidelines of the Nursing Homes Regulatory Act. It also mandates that private hospitals submit periodical monthly reports to the health officer to register a nursing home and hospital with beds in the city.

Of the 700 private hospitals in Chennai, few, if any, follow these rules.

"We have not implemented it in the past because of various reasons. But we will look into the aspect," a senior corporation official said, adding that the civic body does not have records of hospitals that admit poor patients free of cost.

The issue of poor patients being turned away by private hospitals was underlined by the death of seven-year-old Avinash, whose parents killed themselves by leaping to their death from the terrace of a four-storey building in south Delhi after their son died of dengue because private hospitals allegedly denied him treatment.

The Supreme Court had in 2011 asked Delhi's private hospitals, which obtained land from the government at concessional rates, to reserve 10 per cent of their in-patient beds and 25 per cent of their outpatient resources for poor patients.

Experts say admitting poor patients in private hospitals will ease the burden on government hospitals.

Jayaram Venkatesan, of NGO Arappor Iyakkam, said government officials take no action against private hospitals that deny poor patients treatment.

"The corporation should disclose the availability of the beds on a real-time basis on its website and list poor patients who have received from treatment from private hospitals," he said.

President of the Indian Public Health Association S Elango said a majority of government hospitals face constraints of adequate equipment or space.

"The state government should follow the clinical establishment act to ensure violators receive stringent punishment," he said. "The act makes it compulsory for hospitals to treat and stabilise patients in emergencies without first asking for payment."

Indian Medical Association, Tamil Nadu, president Dr M Balasubramanian says several private corporate hospitals treat poor patients free of charge in peripheral clinics.

"There are some practical difficulties in admitting such patients in the main centres of the hospitals," he said. "Will any five star hotel or theatre provide 10% free reservation for poor people? The government does not give adequate concessions and private hospitals have to pay commercial electricity charges."

Balasubramanian said the government does not grant permission to construct hospitals in residential areas. "Many entrepreneurs are forced to build such facilities in commercial localities where land is much more costly," he said. "Most hospitals give concessions to patients that are equivalent to the 10% reservation."

The Times of India, 21 September, 2015, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Are-Chennai-private-hospitals-turning-away-poor-patients/articleshow/49039097.cms


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