Poor mocked as free beds go vacant

Private hospitals leave no stone unturned to showcase their occasional philanthropic effort, but when it comes to treating the poor on a regular basis, they are the biggest defaulters. But they have a flimsy excuse to offer — the poor don't come to us. And on Tuesday, when the Supreme Court lambasted private hospitals and directed them to give free treatment to the poor, cold statistics ripped through their hypocrisy. Majority of the private hospitals have most of their beds vacant in the free-bed category.

In a city where government hospitals are bursting at their seams due to patient overload and the underprivileged cry out for attention, more than 90 per cent beds reserved for them in 38 private hospitals are vacant. The state government has also failed to discipline them. And this despite allotting land to the private players at concessional rates.

Records show that among the major private hospitals, Escorts Heart Institute had 23 vacant beds in the free-bed category of a total 26. Max Hospital, Saket, had 26 vacant beds out of 30, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital had 22 of 68 free beds vacant and in Dharmshila Cancer Hospital 18 out of 20 free beds were vacant.
At Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj, Primus Superspecialty Hospital in Chanakyapuri, Pashupati Singhania Research Institute in Sheikh Sarai and Rockland Hospital not a single poor patient had been admitted on their 11 free beds. Moolchand Hospital, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre and St Stephen's Hospital have taken stay order.

At Apollo Hospital, which is supposed to reserve 200 free beds for poor, the hospital claimed to have 56 patients as on July 1. A Delhi Government official said the hospital has 49 dedicated free beds and poor patients are adjusted in the paid area as and when required . "They claim not many poor come to us, so there is no need to have more dedicated free beds," the official said.

A hospital spokesperson said, "Unlike other private hospitals we have a special arrangement with the Delhi Government and together we have decided that only those poor patients referred to us by will be admitted. We never return any patient who comes to us," she said.

Spokesperson of the Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre claimed they have 50-60 percent occupancy in the free-bed category. "Because ours is a superspeciality hospital, the underprivileged don't come to us." All other major private hospitals claimed they do not deny treatment to poor people who come there.

Advocate Ashok Aggarwal who has been fighting for free beds for the poor, said some hospitals charge for the medicines. "A poor cannot afford that also. So he goes to the government hospital. Also, there is lack of awareness among people and they do not go and claim their right which is a major reason behind private hospitals managing to go scot-free ," he said.

State Health Minister A K Walia said the government is contemplating slapping a fine on the defaulters in future. "I am going to hold an urgent meeting on the matter on Wednesday. It is clearly evident from figures that hospitals are not fulfilling their commitment to provide free treatment, despite having been allotted land at concessional rates as in the case of majority of these private hospitals ," said Walia.

As reported in: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-07-06/delhi/29742742_1_private-hospitals-poor-patients-free-beds