Doctors & Vets

For the last three months, not a single patient from below poverty line (BPL) has been treated at the Rockland Hospital.

When the special committee appointed by the High Court visited the hospital last month, only one out of the 11 beds available for BPL patients was occupied in the Pushpawati Singhania Hospital.

Noting that there is a `calculated, systematic nexus among government and private hospitals to successfully frustrate the court and cheat poor patients', the committee has recommended penalising medical superintendents of government hospitals if they do not refer patients to private centres.

In Delhi, 40 private hospitals allotted cheap or free land by government agencies are required to set aside a tenth of their beds for the poor even if they had not given any such commitment at the time of allotment. The High Court committee has come to the conclusion that over 90 per cent of these free beds remain unoccupied.

"Close to 1,000 beds in private hospitals are supposed to be used to unburden government hospitals and provide quality care to underprivileged patients," said Ashok Agarwal, a lawyer associated with Social Jurist, an NGO. "It is bizarre that some hospitals have not treated a BPL patient for as long as three months. Part of the blame is with the government, which does not pressure the private hospitals.
We're going to ask for a highlevel inquiry in this matter."

Source: The Indian Express By Vidya Krishnan  Private hospitals dodge `poor' clause, doors still shut to underprivileged

These schemes are the "Indira Bal Swasthya Yojana" (IBSY) and the "Nehru Drishti Yojana" (NDY).

"IBSY is a novel concept to provide preventive and curative health care to all children up to 18 years of age," Hooda said, adding it would be implemented in four phases and it would cover more than 40 lakh school children.

"School teachers would be trained to screen children for any nutritional deficiency or disease. They would also maintain health record of all children."

The NDY is aimed at controlling blindness among children.

"Presently the state requires about 3,200 corneas whereas only about half of this requirement is being met. New eye collection centres will be established in the state under NDY," Hooda said.

He said this scheme will help all those patients who are suffering from blindness due to unavailability of corneas and fill the gap in demand and supply.

This is Delhi government's newest plan to make medical advice available to you at a minimum cost and maximum convenience.

"We are planning to have a call centre manned by about 5060 trained doctors and paramedics, who will be able to handle any basic health inquiry," said Kiran Walia, health minister of Delhi.

The Delhi government is planning to do it with the help of private players, who will be responsible for the infrastructure and maintenance, while the government will provide the manpower.

The government plans to have a common number for the call centre with a bank of lines. This will work like the ambulance and police helpline numbers, which work 24/7.

Delhi government is also hoping that this concept may help in building a community-wise database of patients, which may help health researchers.

Source: Hindustan Times Doctors on call, 24/7, and free

Invariably the doctors have been insisting that the patient have a complete blood profile, ultrasound and Xrays done and get urine tested, both routine and even culture sometimes.

No one has any objection in undergoing so many tests in cases of serious ailments but certainly the patients and their relatives do get upset when they are asked to go in for various tests in ordinary ailments such as common cold, viral fever or minor injuries or bruises. The question arises as to whether these tests, involving considerable expenditure, are at all necessary? The doctors' version in this regard is that they do not want to take risk of getting involved in any litigation, especially under the Consumer Protection Act, under which the consumers do not have to incur any expenditure by way of court fees. Another argument is that in order to prescribe scientific treatment, the requisite tests are essentially necessary.

Noticing the above unhealthy state of affairs, P. R. Subhash Chandran, a journalist of Andhra Pradesh, went to the extent of filing a writ petition pro bono publico before the Andhra Pradesh High Court seeking issue of directions to the government to prevent the exploitation of the patients undergoing per force numerous tests required by the doctors. The high court appreciated the stand of the petitioner but expressed its inability to issue directions to the state government, as sought for. It, however, observed that there was a definite need to control and check the unethical practices being followed by the doctors in the judgement reported at AIR 2000 A. P. 272.

The author is an advocate and editor of Consumer Protection And Trade Practices Journal ( CTJ)

Source: Mail Today By Rosy Kumar Doctors Must Not Exploit Patients' Trust

Bhukkal on Monday said that these allocated funds included more than Rs. 4.56 crore under Mission Flexi Pool and Rs. 16.15 crore under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme.

She said that 125 posts of Medical Officers, 59 of Pharmacists and 32 of other ranks have been filled up to provide the facilities of AYUSH through district hospitals and Community Health Centres in the State. She said that these Medical Officers included 103 Homoeopathic, 21 Ayurvedic and one of Yoga.

The facility of AYUSH has been provided in 21 district hospitals and 82 Community Health Centres (CHCs) in the State, she added.

She said that over Rs. 2.52 crore have already been released to the District Ayurvedic Officers for purchase of medicines so that the patients get medicines free of cost. The facility of Panchkarma has also been started at district hospitals at Panchkula and Gurgaon, she added.

She urged the people to avail the benefit of the services being provided by AYUSH in district hospitals and CHCs in the State.

Bhukkal said that at present the doctors of AYUSH were sharing the facilities of Health Department, but the plan was under process to create independent infrastructure for AYUSH wings and poly clinics.

Chief medical officer Dr S S Dalal said no private lab was authorized to carry out the tests for Swine Flu anymore and that samples were now collected at the civil hospital only. "The government decided to blacklist the laboratory after it found that the lab was not carrying the tests properly. After several such complaints, we got some samples tested in the government laboratory and found that the lab was not able to carry out the tests properly," he added.

"So far, 675 positive cases of Swine Flu have been reported in the city. Out of these, 423 are students," Dr Dalal further added.

Meanwhile, SRS Religare Laboratory denied that it was blacklisted by the Haryana government. "We continue to test the highest number of the Swine Flu samples in the world and have not got any such intimation from Haryana government. About a month back, six cases which had tested positive for the disease later tested negative when they were again tested in a government lab. That was because the patients might have got cured of the disease by the time the second sample was taken. We sorted the matter with the authorities and after that we have not received any such communication from the Haryana government," said Sanjeev Chaudhary, CEO of the laboratory.

Mandatory registration of contract research organisations or clinical research organisations (CRO) should start in three months, said Surinder Singh, drugs controller general of India (DCGI).

"This is a very good move by the government," said Muralidharan Nair, partner, health sciences practice, at audit and consulting firm Ernst and Young. "In today's world, it (the existing system) gives a poor impression of India that anyone can have a CRO. The registry will allow people to know the strength of a CRO, the services it offers, its credentials and therapeutic segments it covers."

Such a registry, he said, was a basic requirement for the industry.

India is one of the fastestgrowing clinical research destinations with a growth rate that is two-and-a-half times that of the overall market growth, but human drug trials have so far not been monitored closely.

Source: Live Mint By Radhieka Pandeya TIGHTER REGULATIONS - Firms Have To Register With Govt For Clinical Trials On Humans

The district Red Cross Society and Haryana Health department have come together to launch a new medical emergency helpline. A GPS-fitted ambulance has also been pressed into service to rush patients to the nearest healthcare facility in quick time.

The helpline no -- 102 -- can be dialled when faced with a medical emergency in Gurgaon.

Telephone operator informs ambulance nearest to the caller's location. Ambulance will rush the patient to nearest hospital R.K. KATARIA Gurgaon deputy commissioner

Tagged as 'Referral Transport System' (RTS), the ambulance service will cost patients Rs 7 per km. But pregnant women, victims of roadside accidents, BPL (below poverty line) card holders and patients from notified slum areas will be able to enjoy the service free of cost.

The service for Gurgaon district was launched from the local civil hospital recently. A health control room was also set up in the emergency ward of the civil hospital for the purpose.

Gurgaon deputy commissioner R.K. Kataria said the Haryana government had launched the new healthcare scheme (RTS) in all the districts of the state last month.

Source: Hindustan Times Emergency helpline in Gurgaon to offer swift medical help

Mr. Hooda announced that the Indira Bal Swasthya Yojana would be implemented from January 26, 2010. It would provide comprehensive healthcare to more than 40 lakh children up to 18 years. The scheme aims at providing free health check-up and treatment to all pre-school and school-going children and even drop-outs, he added. The thrust would be to combat the problem of anaemia and ensure de-worming, proper nutrition and timely detection of disabilities.

He said the "shagun" grant to families belonging to SCs living below the poverty line for marriage of their daughters and to widows belonging to all sections of society for their own remarriage as well as for marriage of their daughters has been increased from Rs.15,000 to Rs.31,000 and the amount of "shagun" being given to women from BPL families has also been increased from Rs.5,100 to Rs.11,000 from Thursday.

Within a day of its quiet launch, the Rs 1,000-crore hospital -- promoted by cardiac surgeon Dr Naresh Trehan, chairman, Global Healthcare Ltd -- had 50 per cent surgical occupancy for 70 beds, including two patients from the US who got knee replacement surgeries done.

A front view of the Medanta medicity in Gurgaon's sector 38

"The popular perception is it is a five-star hospital, but the reverse is true. The economies of scale allow us to offer cuttingedge healthcare at affordable prices, which is why our packages are priced 15-20 per cent lower than hospitals in Delhi," said cardiac surgeon Dr Trehan.

Bypass surgery, for example, is priced at Rs 2 lakh (Rs 200,000) in a private room at Medanta, compared with Rs 2.3 lakh (Rs 230,000) to Rs 2.5 lakh (Rs 250,000) in most private hospitals in the Capital.

By December 15, 600 beds will be available.

"Each year, 5 per cent of all surgeries will be free and 15 per cent subsidised. The Medanta Foundation has been set up to raise funds for patients who cannot afford treatment," said Dr Trehan.

Source: Hindustan Times City gets another mega hospital

Rising obesity resulting in lifestyle-related disorders like diabetes and cardio vascular disease (CAVD) among the Asian Indian population has led to the revision of dietary guidelines by the Government of India.

The guidelines were last revised by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad, in 1998. The new ones were released in the Capital on Friday.

Diabetes Foundation of India, in collaboration with department of science and technology and National Foundation of Diabetes, Obesity and Cholesterol Disorders, formulated the India-specific guidelines to be published in a medical journal to create the necessary awareness.

Broadly established for two Indian regions -- north and south, the guidelines will in time be modified to suit the necessities of regional Indian population as well.

Source: Hindustan Times Charting the perfect Indian meal

She said that a Statewide network of 320 ambulances has been created in the first phase.

"All ambulances would be fitted with Geographical Positioning System (GPS). The service of such an ambulance could be availed by ringing up an easily accessible three digit toll free phone number `102', which has been made available in all the districts of the State. This phone number can be called from any phone by any patient himself or his relative or any other person for shifting the patient to the nearest hospital," Ms. Bhukkal said here.

Ms. Bhukkal said that control rooms have been established within the campus of all district hospitals by the respective District Red Cross Societies for implementation of the scheme.

The call made at phone number `102' would land in control room where the operator would quickly collect information from the caller to provide the vehicle, she said, according to an official release here.

She said that a broadband connection has also been provided to each control room where the operator would identify the location of the nearest ambulance to the caller's location through GPS facility. "Then the operator would call the driver on his mobile phone and notify him the address to enable him to reach at the earliest," she said.

Source: The Hindu Haryana to launch referral transport scheme on Nov. 14

With this, Haryana will become the first state in the country to provide such type of referral transport system facility to patients.

This was disclosed by Deputy Commissioner Rajender Kataria here today. He said the scheme would be run by the District Red Cross Society with the cooperation of the Health Department.

Under the scheme, a central control room will be set up in the emergency ward of the Civil Hospital where a telephone with number 102 will be installed. Elaborating about the implementation of the scheme, Kataria said on receiving a call on phone number 102 the operator would inform the ambulance located nearest to that point.

The ambulance would then take the patient to the nearest Government Hospital or health centre. For this, it would charge Rs 7 per km from the patient.

Source: The Tribune Soon, referral transport system for patients

Bed networking knowing how many beds are available in each hospital and referring patients accordingly will soon be a click away.

In a recent meeting with medical superintendents of private hospitals which had acquired land at concessional rates promising free treatment to BPL patients the state health officials instructed them to update the "bed vacancy" at the end of each working day on the website of Directorate of Health Services (DHS).

"The idea is to keep government hospitals informed about the bed vacancy in private hospitals," said JP Singh, Principal Secretary. "Most state-run hospitals are over-burdened as private players were not keeping up their end of the deal. We want government hospitals to start referring BPL patients to private hospitals as a routine," he said. The procedure of bed networking has already been worked out. As of now, private hospitals send a fax every morning with information about bed vacancy. This will be done online.

"With a click of mouse we will know which hospital is best suited for the patient, keeping in mind the location and the speciality required," said Dr Amit Banerjee, Medical Superintendent of Lok Nayak Hospital. The hospital is already referring seven to eight patients a day to private hospitals.

If this works as planned, it will mean that patients will no longer have to share beds, limiting cases of infections.

"This is a step towards a future where a poor patient will confidently walk in to a private clinic and be treated with dignity without paying a single paisa," Banerjee added.

The state government recently appointed a nodal officer exclusively for Indraprastha Apollo hospitals which had gone to court against paying for consumable to treat poor patients.

A doctor has been posted there for three months to ensure that 200 beds are kept aside for BPL patients.

Gone are the days when your Mediclaim policy covered only your hospitalisation expenses. You can now cover your visits to the doctor, medicine bills, diagnostic tests and maternity expenses as well.

This is due to increasing competition in the health insurance sector with the entry of five nonlife insurers and two stand-alone health insurance companies since 2007. All 21 life insurance players have also been allowed to offer health covers.

"We hope to see many more innovations in the health insurance sector, which is good for the insured," Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority chairman J. Hari Narayan told HT.

"We recently launched Easy Health Individual Insurance Plan that covers maternity expenses after six claim-free years and free health check-ups after three claim-free years," said Antony Jacob, CEO, Apollo DKV Health Insurance.

Source: Hindustan Times Now, pay for your root canal with insurance

The Deputy Commissioner, Gurgaon, Rajender Kataria called a meeting of principals and Headmasters of all the government as well as private schools and colleges in the district to make them aware about the disease and the doctors of private hospitals also participated in it.

The meeting was organized in the meeting of Mini Secretariat. Presiding over the meeting, the Deputy Commissioner said that the district administration is alert about prevention of Swine-flu and added  that awareness is prevention. He said that the people need not to be under panic but they should know the symptoms and precautionary measures needed for prevention of the disease. According to Mr Kataria, though 34 positive cases of Swine-flu have been reported in Gurgaon but no causality had taken place due to the disease. He said that the schools and colleges need not to be closed because of Swine-flu scare, instead, the affected student can proceed on a weeks leave and stay secluded at home.

He told that after implementation of Epidemic Act in the state, it has become mandatory for the private hospitals to report the suspected Swine-flu cases to the Civil Surgeon office.  Under the Act, even the samples can be taken forcibly if a suspected patient refuses to give samples. He told that helpline for Swine-flu has been started in Gurgaon and any person can just dial and seek information or inform about the suspected case. These numbers are 0124-4080963, 09268253848 of Dr Khazan Singh PMO, phone number 09711771177 of Dr Gulshan Arora, 09818663537 of Dr MP Sharma and phone number 09958244722 of Dr Neelam Thapar.

Source: punjabnewsline.com Gurgaon administration launches awareness campaign on Swine Flu

With the medical history of a patient being a click of a mouse away for doctors in Delhi, cumbersome diagnosis will become a thing of past.
The state Health Ministry is in the process of finalising the issuing of health cards--smart cards with the entire medical data of a person --to all its citizens.
Delhi Health Minister Kiran Walia said the government would be ready to introduce the cards in mother and child health programmes by the end of the year.

"We are not just thinking about the urban or semi-urban population, but also the rural population," said Walia.

"Delhi has many slums and unauthorized colonies and we plan to have a well-integrated scheme for all strata," she added.

At the launch of Health Positive-- a medical health journal-- recently, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Dinesh Trivedi had said he was in favour of e-health card for all Indians.

"The card will be a convenient way of registering births.
Each child will get registered with the government at the time of birth and the medical history and other relevant information will be fed directly into the card," he said.

"As the child grows up, the information will get updated automatically."

"This is just an idea at the moment, and if it materialises, a doctor can access all the information about a patient on the Internet from anywhere in the world," said Trivedi.

Hooda said the scheme, initiated in Haryana from January 2008, has been completely implemented in record period of time - beating the state government's own deadline by four years. The scheme was to be originally implemented by 2012-13 in Haryana's 21 districts.

"We pulled all stops and pressed all levers to ensure that all the BPL families are extended the cover at the earliest. It was a bit difficult but our team took keen interest in implementing the scheme in the entire state in the year of launch," Hooda said.

Director Employees State Insurance Health Care D.V. Saharan said the scheme offered a cashless and paperless cover under which treatment worth Rs.30,000 per year was offered free of cost to any member of the BPL family in case of injury, disease and ailment necessitating hospitalisation.

It covers the cost of transportation, investigation, surgery and food, and the choice of hospital is left to the patient.

The population covered under the scheme has been issued smart cards. Government and private hospitals have been empanelled under the scheme.

Officials said nearly 11,000 people have already availed of the benefit under the scheme and millions of rupees have been disbursed for the BPL families' treatment.