EWS patients treated like untouchables at pvt hospitals

On making enquiries on the facilities for EWS patients in Batra Hospital in South Delhi, the receptionist pointed towards an isolated building across the road. This building houses the nursing school of the group and a part of it is rented out to the Oriental Bank of Commerce. 

“The OPD for EWS patients is at the basement of this building,” said a few poor patients and their relatives standing outside. Downstairs it’s like a cave. The OPD consists of a makeshift dispensary with compartments isolated with wooden boards, some chairs and fans hanging from the ceiling. This contrast from the fully air conditioned main building of Batra Hospital is obvious. “Not only this OPD, the IPD ward for EWS patients which is situated inside the main building has only fans,” said the Liaison Officer (LO) posted at the hospital.

With the help of a patient’s relative we managed to get into the EWS ward. There are 35 beds in the EWS ward but only two toilets — one each for male and female. On the notice board, the hospital claims 45 EWS beds in Non Critical category and five in ICU category. “If there are more patients, we adjust them in paid wards,” said a senior officer of the hospital. 

On June 14, the day Millennium Post visited the hospital, 24 beds in Non Critical and three beds in ICU were vacant. “The maximum occupancy in this hospital is from 38 to 40 during dengue season in October-November last year,” added the LO.  

Furthermore, the doctors are required to prescribe from a list of 54 medicines available in the medical store at the basement while a separate pharmacy is there for paid patients with no dearth of medicines.

Similarly, Apollo Indraprastha Hospital runs its EWS OPD in an isolated building. Though IPD wards are in the same building, the beds are segregated for EWS patients. Fortis Escorts Hospital has two separate EWS wards of six beds each but in the same building and AC facility is there. Max Smart Super-specialty (Saket City), Max Devki Devi, Rockland hospitals were also found running separate OPD and EWS wards but AC facilities were provided.

“The discrimination started as soon as I showed my BPL card. They asked me to wait for hours while paid patients were sent immediately to the doctors,” said Bhagera Roy (80) who is suffering from hernia and doing the rounds of Rockland Hospital since May 3 to get a date for surgery. 

Another BPL card holder said: “After facing discrimination for several times at Max Patparganj, I deposited Rs 700 fee for consultation on May 13. The doctor immediately referred me to Safdarjung Hospital,” said Usha Rani (41) who was later diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in her leg bone. She is currently making rounds of another corporate hospital — Max Smart Superspecialty (Saket City Hospital) for her date of surgery.

“It’s complete violation of the orders of the Delhi High Court. There should not be any discrimination between paid and EWS patients. These hospitals are not doing any favour by providing ‘free treatment’ to the poor but were paid in advance in lieu of land on concessional rates,” said Ashok Agarwal, social jurist whose petition resulted in the landmark order in 2007. He is also member in the EWS beds monitoring committee of the Delhi government and involved in several cases related to EWS patients.

“In absence of clear guidelines from the government to deal with such issues, the LOs are left with their individual efforts. It’s very difficult for LOs to pressurise management of corporate hospitals,” said Barkha Rani, Nodal Officer of the Delhi government for EWS beds in private hospitals. 

The Delhi government has appointed nursing staff from nearby government hospitals as LO in private hospitals to assist EWS patients but most of them are assigned three to four hospitals.