Pvt doctors cashing in on dengue fears

Private practitioners are minting money out of dengue fears and the victims have no options but to abide by the doctor?s command, writes Gaurav Saigal.

PRIVATE PRACTITIONERS are minting money out of dengue fears and the victims have no options but to abide by the doctor’s command. In fact, confirmation of dengue does not change the line of treatment for a patient. Even platelet transfusion is required under specific conditions. However, patients are forced to go for expensive ELISA test, showing them the death toll in the country. Experts say that ELISA test cannot confirm dengue virus unless the case is five days old. Even if the patient is suffering from dengue for over six days chances of getting a correct report are just 80 per cent.

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On the contrary, a simple platelet count test (PCT) along with rising haematocrit test (RHT) can tell the condition of a patient and help doctor to manage the situation. Both the tests cost around Rs 80 and Rs 30 respectively. But, the cost of ELISA test at private laboratories is ‘uncontrolled’.

“It’s a self-restricting virus and goes away like any other viral fever in a few days,” says the joint secretary of the Indian medical Association (IMA) Dr PK Gupta.

He says seriousness of the virus can also be indicated with the symptoms shown by patient where he has rashes on the body and continuous cough along with fever.

The cost at private labs may be Rs 500 or could go up to Rs 1200. The variation depends upon the status of the private lab and urgency of the patient while a similar test at government hospital cost around Rs 250.

The Rapid Immunochromatographic (RI) technique or the basic screening test is another cheap option for suspected Dengue patients. This strip based test costs around Rs 400 and indicates the seriousness of the virus by reacting with the Dengue antibodies.

“Platelet transfusion should only be done if the count comes below 10000, which is also said a state prone to dengue shock. If a doctor is prescribing platelet transfusion to a patient who has his or her platelet count above 20000, it is clinically wrong,” says Dr DP Mishra, superintendent of Balrampur Hospital.

Doctors say less than 5 per cent of the total dengue patients enter the shock stage who need hospitalization. The others can take medication at home under the doctor’s watch with close monitoring of fever and other symptoms.

Private hospitals are rather interested to earn extra bucks with admission and bed charges.

Dr Mishra says any common viral fever brings down the platelet count and not just dengue. “If the platelet count is below 30,000 but has not touched the 10,000- mark whole blood transfusion can cater to the patient and platelet transfusion is not required,” Dr Mishra says.

“I would rather advise doctors to avoid creating panic situations and observe what exactly is required for the patients,” Dr Gupta says.