The Association of Hospitals, Pune has expressed concerns over the lack of a monitoring and reimbursement system for providing free treatment to emergency patients. The association is demanding a reimbursement system to cover the cost incurred in treating, stabilizing and transferring the patients to another facility.
The issue was also raised in the recent monthly meeting held on December 19.
Hospitals claim every month they spend lakhs of rupees for treating patients— acute emergencies, trauma emergencies, accidents, and unknown patients brought by the public or police. These patients are provided life-saving care, stabilized and referred to the nearest government hospital daily.
All such patients are later referred to Sassoon General Hospital but face inconvenience to get beds and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission.
Dr H K Sale, executive director of Noble Hospital and chairman of Association of Hospitals, Pune, said, the issue was previously raised with former health minister Rajesh Tope, but later the government changed.
“There is no system in place that the hospitals will get reimbursement for the treatment or patients are monitored. We will take up the issue with the chief minister and health minister of Maharashtra,” he said.
As per the association, during an emergency, a patient seeking treatment in a private set-up doesn’t have to advance deposit, or pre-payment for either treatment or diagnostics.
{{/usCountry}}As per the association, during an emergency, a patient seeking treatment in a private set-up doesn’t have to advance deposit, or pre-payment for either treatment or diagnostics.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Sale said, the state government should make a budget allocation for the reimbursement of the money to private hospitals for the expenses incurred for treating patients during emergencies.
“The healthcare facilities in public hospitals should be also strengthened to handle emergency trauma and non-trauma patients,” he said.
Dr Sanjay Patil, chairman of Hospital Board of India, Pune Chapter, said, that during an emergency as per the rules, the patients are provided out-patient or in-patient consultation, emergency transport, emergency medical care and emergency diagnostics by private hospitals.
“However, till today there is no clarity for the definition of emergency service and It could range from a heart attack to a delivery of an expecting mother coming in with labour pain,” he said.
Dr Patil said the patients are provided primary emergency treatment without considering the financial capability of the patient, and are later referred to suitable nearest referral hospitals with medical referral notes about the ailments as early as possible.
“We want all hospitals to follow the right to health of patients and all hospitals are doing this. But when advanced emergency treatment or procedures are required, and the patient needs hospitalization the situation becomes difficult. This also leads to a ruckus between the kin and the hospital. With a reimbursement system in place the inconvenience of both patients and hospitals will be solved,” he said.