Central Government Health Scheme beneficiaries allege biased treatment by private hospitals

GURGAON: Beneficiaries of the CGHS (Central Government Health Scheme) in the city have alleged that CGHS-empanelled private hospitals are treating them indifferently and giving them a step-motherly treatment.
Last week, Ratan Kotwal, a Malibu Towne, went to a leading private hospital for prostrate operation, but the doctors kept him waiting for more than five hours."At 2pm, the doctor told me that they cannot perform the surgery, as the hospital had patients from foreign countries and all operation theatres were full. When I protested and asked them why then they kept me waiting for five hours without food or water, they kept saying that they have patients from foreign countries, who needed more attention. I left the hospital in frustration. Though they did the operation the next day, I had to go hungry for another day, which is difficult for a senior citizen," said Kotwal.
This is not a lone case. A number of CGSH beneficiaries vented their frustration to TOI. "I had to visit three hospitals for my cataract. None of them would give me the date for the operation. Finally, my son came from the US and did the operation at his own expense in Delhi. I was lucky. But what about other patients who cannot afford the cost?" said S K Sarma, another patient.
Asked whether CGSH patients are treated indifferently in the hospital, spokesperson of the Medanta Hospital, Yugal Sharma, said, "We will look into the matter and enquire about it."
"Last month, a leading hospital near Rajiv Chowk rejected a serious CGHS heart patient on the ground that the hospital doesn't have enough bed and referred him to another. The condition of the patient was serious and he died on the way to the other hospital. The aged widow of the patient then filed a complaint with us," said S N Gupta, president, CGHS Beneficiaries' Welfare Association, Gurgaon.
The association gets an average of 10 complaints a month against city hospitals. "Most of the empanelled hospitals keep on deferring dates. The hospitals get the empanelled status to increase their status of being a big hospital. These hospitals are not willing to treat CGHS patients as the profit margin they get is too low. They are more interested in treating their corporate clients and foreign patients," said Sanjeev Saxena secretary, CGHS Beneficiaries' Welfare Association.
Details
There are around 60,000 CGHS beneficiaries in Gurgaon.
Eight private hospitals are empanelled to treat CGSH patients in their hospitals, besides several eye and dental clinics.
There are two health centres for CGHS patients in Gurgaon - at Sectors 56 and 5.
There is no ambulance service for CGSH patient.