Hyderabad: Medical Bodies Reject Fee Allegations

Hyderabad: The Indian Medical Association (IMA), Warangal, and the Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA), Telangana, have condemned the purported remarks by MLC Vijayashanti on consultation fees and investigation costs in private hospitals, saying that the practices of a few doctors or corporate hospitals should not be generalised to cover the medical fraternity.

Both associations said they supported measures to prevent unnecessary investigations, irrational treatment and excessive billing wherever such practices were established. However, they said, portraying doctors and private hospitals as routinely exploiting patients was unfair and could damage the medical profession.

HRDA president Dr Karthik Nagula said not every doctor charged ₹1,000–₹1,500 as consultation fee and that the charges varied based on a doctor’s qualification, speciality, experience, location and type of healthcare facility.

He also said not every patient presenting with fever was subjected to investigations costing ₹15,000–₹30,000.

The investigations required depended on the patient’s clinical condition, duration and severity of illness, age, comorbidities, examination findings and the doctor’s clinical judgement. Investigations required for complicated or serious illnesses could not be compared with those for simple, self-limiting fever, he said.

The associations also said the financial structure of small and medium-sized hospitals should not be compared with that of large corporate hospitals.

Private hospitals incur recurring expenditure on doctors and nursing and other healthcare staff, building rent, infrastructure, medical equipment, EMIs, maintenance contracts, electricity, biomedical waste management, fire safety, municipal and professional taxes and various statutory compliances.

IMA and HRDA said transparent billing, rational investigation protocols and informed consent were essential to protect patients from unnecessary expenditure.

Any doctor or hospital found indulging in unethical or irrational practices should face action based on evidence against the concerned individual or institution, they said.

The associations also called for strengthening primary and urban healthcare facilities. HRDA urged the government to improve infrastructure, medicines and diagnostic services at primary and urban health centres and provide round-the-clock doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff so that quality healthcare was accessible to poor and vulnerable sections.