Hyderabad: ESIC hospitals have been continuously referring patients to private hospitals for stent implants who are being charged 2.5 times more than the rate offered by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Central Government Health Scheme, the Central Information Commissioner has stated. RTI applicant Pawan Saraswat had filed a query about the price of stents in 2013 in ESIC hospitals, but was not given a proper reply. He filed another application earlier this year.
The Central Information Commission took up the issue and found that the patients who come to ESIC hospitals are referred to private empanelled hospitals. These hospitals were not charging the rates prescribed for CGHS or AIIMS; instead they were charging these patients on commercial rates. The patients referred to private hospitals from ESIC have been charged packages of Rs 5,50,000 and Rs 8,50,000 for drug eluting stents while the rate at AIIMS is Rs 1,75,000.
Central Information Commissioner Prof. M. Sridhar Acharyulu asked for data on the number of patients who were referred to private hospitals for stent implants. He was told by ESIC hospitals that collecting the data was time-consuming. The CIC also took note of the fact that the references were being made only to private hospitals and not semi-autonomous bodies or CGHS-operated centres that would make it easier for the patients.
With no proper data available, Prof. Acharyulu has asked that future references to private hospitals must ensure that the Price Control Order of stents is followed and reimbursements made accordingly.
