Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Tuesday said patients are being charged hefty sums on tests, procedures and medicines in Kashmir Valley’s government-run hospitals.
In a statement here today the DAK said while the governmenthospitals are duty bound to provide free treatment to patients, “it isunfortunate that patients are being for such services.”
“It is unfair for the government hospitals to chargepatients as they have an obligation to provide services free of cost,” DAKPresident Dr Nisar ul Hassan said.
“It is the poor who visit government hospitals with a hopethat they will receive free treatment, but to their disappointment they have topay for their health needs,” he said.
DAK President said it is painful to see poor patientsleaving hospitals without treatment because they cannot afford expenses oftests and medicines.
Dr Nisar said that cardiac patients are made to pay Rs1,20,000 on pacing, Rs 70,000 on angioplasty and Rs 30,000 on radiofrequencyablation.
“For coronary angiography and electrophysiological studiespatients are charged Rs 5500 each,” he said.
Dr Nisar said, “Contrast enhanced CT scan costs Rs 3700 topatients and CT angiography 4200. Likewise the MR angiography and MRspectroscopy and contrast enhanced MRI cost Rs 3700/- each.”
“If a patient wants to correct his refractory error by LASIK(Laser eye surgery), he/she has to pay Rs 10,000,” he said, adding that fromsimple tests like CBC, KFT, LFT, Lipid profile, thyroid function, Urineexamination, X-ray’s, ECG to hospital stay, patients are charged foreverything.
“While government has announced free drugs in governmenthospitals, the patients have to pay even for life-saving medicines,” he said,adding that if someone gets a heart attack, he/she has to pay Rs 30,000 fortenecteplase, a thrombolytic drug that dissolves clot in clogged arteries andrestores blood flow to heart.
Dr Nisar said poor people visiting hospitals have no optionbut to compromise on treatment as they cannot afford to pay.