Standards for OPD consultation
I have experienced that healthcare despite being social sector has lots of profiteering. For example, there are doctors in Delhi who are charging anywhere between 2000-5000 as consultation charges.
Is this appropriate. Should the Govt let this continue. Its basically depriving poor of expert advise because they cant pay.
Why doesnt BIS or Health Ministry standardise or private doctor consultation at 1500 rupees and do inflation adjustment each year. Just like school fees escalation. more
Is this appropriate. Should the Govt let this continue. Its basically depriving poor of expert advise because they cant pay.
Why doesnt BIS or Health Ministry standardise or private doctor consultation at 1500 rupees and do inflation adjustment each year. Just like school fees escalation. more
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D K Sarkar is worth appreciating but in all fairness it is essential to educate doctors in Govt. institutions on the basis of merit only than only expect fair and efficient service. more
Feb 12
It is a various serious issue concerning consumers of healthcare. Doctors are exploiting, particularly the middle income group - not speaking about the poor in today's context taking about the high rate of Rs.200-5000 as consultation fees. The excuse of the five star hospitals and high end individual practitioner is that they had their medical education after paying crores of entrance fees all inclusive running into crores for which they take loans or dig the deep pocket of the family reserves, and, I believe, it is because of government's mismanagement or bad governance as a policy. Medical education should be only in the government sector where admissions should be on the basis of National Entrance Tests with nominal charges for the same, and choice of college should be taken in advance, and admitted on merit basis. Also, it would be a compulsory practice that all private sector hospitals register all poor patients with BPL Ration Cards & Voter ID Cards as Out Door Patients from within the one km radious of the hospital location with an initial registration charge of, say, Rs.10 per member of the family as per the Ration Card. OPD will be used for only consultation and follow up. Thereafter, if any admission is required the patient could be referred to the nearest government hospital for specialty treatment. I hope the above proposal will get the satisfaction of the participation and acceptance to the government authorities to the GoI and the States. more
Feb 10
So, you think that fixing up of a fees of Rs.1,500/- as one time consultation fees would be reasonable and the poor (as per your post) would be able to meet this fee to get advice of expert doctors! If one can pay Rs.1,500/-, he or she can conveniently pay Rs,2,000/- as well. The question is the justification of charging such high fees for a consultation for 5 - 10 minutes maximum whatever stature the concerned doctor may have. This is not more than a practice of taking undue advantage of the situation and fleecing the patients and their kith & kin. In a country like ours where more than 80% people do not earn more than Rs.5000 to 6000/- a month, the doctors consultation fees must be capped within a few hundred of rupees. I think it is not the area of BIS but the health department should look into the matter on priority basis. more
Jan 03
Those who can afford to send their children to elite schools should do so, else should remain satisfied to schools meant for poors. ( I HAVE DECLARED THAT I STUDIED IN FREE SCHOOLS, SELECTED INSTITUTIONS WHERE FREED TUITION FEE WOULD BE AVAILABLE.). Likewise, People should go to such doctors whose fees can they afford. Doctors charging high fees spend a good amount of their income and time for ever upgrading their knowledge, provisions for 'state of the art' equipments, etc. NOTHING COMES FREE or SUBSIDIZED. more
Jan 06
Yes, I am aware of these facts though it is too much to say that doctors (qualified) are available these days at a fee of Rs.5/-. In the instant case it was recommended to cap the fees at Rs.1,500/- to make it affordable to poor (?)! Health services can not be and should not be compared with the services of lawyers or private tutors though their fees as stated are exorbitant and unjustified. There are plenty of examples of students going to government schools and making preparations at home are well established in life. Similarly, people engaging lawyers of low stature are also wining their critical cases. Health services is altogether a different issue and specialized services need to be made affordable to all categories of people in our society without any excuse and the area leaves enough scope for discussion. more
Jan 04
There are plenty of Doctors who will be just happy to get Rs. 5/- even. Tutions for HSSC Classes (Physics/ Chemistry/ Mathematics/ Biology) are available at Rs. 200/- p.m. per subject as also at Rs.5,000/- p.m. per subject. One can avail such facility, depending on her choice or other constraints. (I could not afford to join in any Tution class, availed free student-ship from ClassiIX onwards upto PostGrad Engg.) . Every profession has got high rated/paid as also low rated/paid professionals. There are advocates who would be happy to get Rs. 500/- per appearance in a case, and also some advocates would charge Rs. 1o lakhs (and above). No special isolation and discussions for fees for doctors are called for. What is needed is affordable medical treatment for all. And as stated earlier, none was bothered to make provisions for 'affordable doctors'. more
Jan 03
It is the fundamental theorem of Demand and Supply. Demand for 'Good Physicians' are high, but time availability of such doctors are quite low. Hence the answer. Exemptions, although seen, are scarce. That such a scenario would prevail was known to many even during last 90's. How many debates/walk-out's had taken place in the Parliament? Another side. We may find a person, who could not clear his class X exam/or could narrowly clear is earning several lakhs p.m. through his 'talents 'as a builder of houses or roads, OR a person who could narrowly clear his graduation from a dubious institute, in a unheard subject - earning several lakhs p.m. through family business (politics also included) , etc. etc. - what prevents a doctor to ask for a fee for his/her decent living - who had to clear arduous examinations - to pass his/her Higher Secondary with very very high marks, compete through still tougher competitive examination to get the admission, duties in wards apart from classroom studies and examinations, ...? Many of us don't mind to occasionally spend a few thousand rupees for apparels of latest styles.design OR a dinner in a hotel/restaurant/lawn/amusement parks OR many other forms of entertainments, but weep for such high expenditures for a doctor. P.S. I'm not a doctor, none of my family members is a doctor, none of my close friends are doctors. more
Jan 02
Dear Desikachari Venugopal sir, in how many places this facility is there in total india sir.. more
Dec 31
