The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Arogyasri not in the pink of health

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Wednesday, Nov 04, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Arogyasri not in the pink of health

Y. Mallikarjun

Private hospitals collecting fees and performing unwanted operations, reveals probe

Hospitals collecting consultation, admission fee and not providing medicines free of cost
Three hospitals in Guntur conducted hysterectomy operations against norms

HYDERABAD: An ongoing probe into allegations of misuse of Rajiv Arogyasri Health Insurance Scheme by several private hospitals across the State revealed irregularities ranging from collection of consultation fees to performing unwanted hysterectomy operations.

The probe being conducted by an official investigating agency found that instead of providing cashless treatment to the poor, the network hospitals in many cases in Warangal, Khammam and a few in Hyderabad have collected consultation and diagnosis fee, besides admission charges in clear violation of the MoU entered into with Arogyasri Trust.

The patients were also not provided free of cost the required medicines and post-operative treatment.

The attendants of the patients were not provided food either.

For instance, one hospital in Karimnagar town made the patients to undergo ultrasonography tests at a specified scanning centre and buy the medicines in cases relating to appendix surgery, casting a financial burden up to Rs.4,000 in one incident. In some other cases, the stay period in hospital was mentioned to be longer than the actual time. In another instance, a patient complained to the investigating agency that the hospital was discriminating against patients availing free treatment.

Post-operative pains

It was also found that some hospitals discharged patients, who underwent surgeries earlier than the time required for recovery. Instead of providing free post-operative treatment, patients who went for follow-up examination were charged consultation fee and made to buy medicines.

In another case, one hospital collected a huge deposit amount, did not reimburse it to the patient and yet collected the bill.

The probe revealed that a hospital in Hanamkonda conducted five per cent of the hysterectomy operations without first trying medical treatment.

Similarly, 68 per cent of the patients who underwent hysterectomy operations in three hospitals in Guntur district were between 21 and 40 years.

Generally the procedure would not be performed in women below 40 years unless there is a specific indication requiring the procedure.

A senior official of the agency said that it was fully seized of the matter and had tasked its field officers in all the districts to inquire into the allegations and submit reports at the earliest.

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Andhra Pradesh