The Hindu : `Pay OP evening wards' under study

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 02, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

`Pay OP evening wards' under study

By Ramya Kannan

Chennai JAN. 1. On the heels of its decision to introduce a `pay' ward in the Hospital for Women and Children, Egmore, and replicate the experiment in other government hospitals for speciality procedures, the Government is considering opening `pay' outpatient wards during evening.

While raising questions of `inequality' this move will lead to, an ongoing debate has also established that introducing `pay' slots, for those who can afford, will prove beneficial to the larger health care delivery system in the State. ``If funds collected through this system are ploughed back into the hospitals, vast improvements can be made in the public health care,'' physicians point out.

They claim to gather evidence, from the success of the Centre for GI Bleed at the Stanley Hospital, first `pay' unit started in the government sector as early as March 1999. The centre, which aims at providing specialised care to those suffering from liver, pancreatic and biliary diseases and gastrointestinal bleeding, treats patients of two categories— emergency and elective. Medical attention is provided free of cost to all emergency patients, but once the patient becomes `stable', he/she will be given an option of continuing in the centre, paying charges, or be treated free in the general ward.

Paying patients are required to give a demand draft for Rs 5,000, drawn in favour of the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (with the aid of which the centre was started), in addition to a hospital `stoppage' charge. From March 1999 to December 10, 2002, the centre treated 1,521 patients, 977 of whom preferred to `pay' their way through. The amount collected over the years is Rs.48.85 lakhs, according to specialists on call at the centre.

``What we attempted to do, by setting up the ward, is to provide an alternative, clean, environment with minimal delays, even within the General Hospital,'' says S. Surendran, consultant surgical gastroenterologist. However, very early in the experiment, the staff realised that unless these parameters were established and the patient felt the difference, the ward would not be a success. ``If we do not deliver the goods, patients will not be willing to pay''. As a result, a new format for keeping the place in shape, ensuring that the paramedical staff were not rude or corrupt and that efficient treatment was provided, was evolved. Armed with an ISO 9002 certification, the centre also has to conform to international standards in maintenance of records and equipment.

Dr. Surendran points out that the collections have helped the unit purchase essential equipment costing more than Rs.40 lakhs, including a video endoscopy set, a ventilator, a multichannel monitor and an ECG machine.

The amount also helps to pay nurses and ward assistants, say the doctors.

The more recent government move to charge Rs.5 for visitors has also provided a formula to raise hospital revenue and keep out those loiterers. ``The system has caught on very well and in the Government General Hospital and the Stanley Hospital, the collection is high because of the large number of patients,'' says the Director of Medical Education, C. Ravindranath. On an average, Rs. 3,000-4,000 is collected daily, and the funds have helped to carry out essential improvements in the hospitals and repair equipment, say hospital sources.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

Fun, chaos on the Marina

`Pay OP evening wards' under study

Online quiz By AD Club-Business Line

Gangsters put on ideologue cloak