BMJ 2014;348:g2429 doi: 10.1136/bmj.g2429 (Published 28 March 2014)
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NEWS Indian hospitals must explain why they refused to treat patients on government scheme Sanjeet Bagcchi Kolkata
India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has asked 24 private hospitals from across the country to explain why they denied health services to people on a government scheme that entitles them to medical care on a cashless or credit basis.
The hospitals—which include leading corporate hospitals in India—were enrolled under the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) to provide comprehensive medical services to government employees, retired MPs, their dependants, and others through 407 private facilities. In a statement on 19 March the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that five hospitals had been removed from the scheme for six months or until further notice, whichever is sooner. 1 Newspapers reported that hospitals refused to treat patients because of delays in settling patients’ medical bills, low rates for services provided, and inadmissible deductions.
When the 24 hospitals were issued with notice, the government assured Indians entitled to care under the scheme that “most of the private hospitals are continuing to extend the cashless facilities to the CGHS beneficiaries.” The statement said that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had taken special steps to clear outstanding hospital bills.
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Indira Chakravarthi, an independent public health researcher and fellow at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library in New Delhi, told the BMJ: “This stoppage of cashless/credit facilities to CGHS beneficiaries is not a sudden development. For several years now CGHS empanelled private hospitals have been dissatisfied with what they consider to be low rates for their services as compared to the market rates; and private hospitals have been themselves withdrawing from the scheme.”
She added: “It also indicates that the [hospitals] are not keen to provide medical care at lesser than market rates, belying all their noble statements of providing affordable healthcare.”
Samiran Nundy, consultant gastrointestinal surgeon at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, told the BMJ: “[The government needs] to put more money into public hospitals, monitor the treatment provided by the private sector more closely, sit round a table and discuss appropriate fee structures and, above all, get rid of the ubiquitous corruption in the health system.” 1
Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Credit to CGHS beneficiaries in empanelled private hospitals to continue. 19 March 2014. http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=104639.
Cite this as: BMJ 2014;348:g2429 © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2014
Subscribe: http://www.bmj.com/subscribe
Page 1 of 1
News
NEWS Indian hospitals must explain why they refused to treat patients on government scheme Sanjeet Bagcchi Kolkata
India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has asked 24 private hospitals from across the country to explain why they denied health services to people on a government scheme that entitles them to medical care on a cashless or credit basis.
The hospitals—which include leading corporate hospitals in India—were enrolled under the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) to provide comprehensive medical services to government employees, retired MPs, their dependants, and others through 407 private facilities. In a statement on 19 March the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that five hospitals had been removed from the scheme for six months or until further notice, whichever is sooner. 1 Newspapers reported that hospitals refused to treat patients because of delays in settling patients’ medical bills, low rates for services provided, and inadmissible deductions.
When the 24 hospitals were issued with notice, the government assured Indians entitled to care under the scheme that “most of the private hospitals are continuing to extend the cashless facilities to the CGHS beneficiaries.” The statement said that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had taken special steps to clear outstanding hospital bills.
For personal use only: See rights and reprints http://www.bmj.com/permissions
Indira Chakravarthi, an independent public health researcher and fellow at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library in New Delhi, told the BMJ: “This stoppage of cashless/credit facilities to CGHS beneficiaries is not a sudden development. For several years now CGHS empanelled private hospitals have been dissatisfied with what they consider to be low rates for their services as compared to the market rates; and private hospitals have been themselves withdrawing from the scheme.”
She added: “It also indicates that the [hospitals] are not keen to provide medical care at lesser than market rates, belying all their noble statements of providing affordable healthcare.”
Samiran Nundy, consultant gastrointestinal surgeon at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, told the BMJ: “[The government needs] to put more money into public hospitals, monitor the treatment provided by the private sector more closely, sit round a table and discuss appropriate fee structures and, above all, get rid of the ubiquitous corruption in the health system.” 1
Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Credit to CGHS beneficiaries in empanelled private hospitals to continue. 19 March 2014. http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=104639.
Cite this as: BMJ 2014;348:g2429 © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2014
Subscribe: http://www.bmj.com/subscribe
