Mysore/Mysuru: A delegation of members of The Mysore Association of Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Clinics and Diagnostic Centres (MAHAN), led by their President Dr. K. Javeed Nayeem, today met Deputy Commissioner (DC) Dr. Bagadi Gautham and discussed the problems Private Hospitals were facing due to non-payment of bills by patients’ relatives, especially when patients require prolonged hospitalisation with high-end intensive care.

Speaking to SOM after submitting a memorandum to the DC, Dr. Javeed Nayeem said, “These days, whenever the bills are presented, many patients’ relatives refuse to pay their bills even when hospitals charge strictly according to the guidelines given by the Government. They present a very distorted and one-sided picture of the situation and get the help of the media and then resort to creating a scene at the hospitals and very often take the help of local politicians and even some anti-social elements.”

“With this being the scenario, almost all Private Hospitals are finding it very difficult to treat seriously ill patients who require prolonged high-end care and where the mortality is likely to be high as in the case of bad Covid cases,” he stated.

The MAHAN delegation has informed the DC that if this situation continues, Private Hospitals may be forced to stop admitting and treating very seriously ill patients and refer them to Govt. Hospitals which are already overburdened and under-staffed in the pandemic scenario. 

The DC has assured the delegation that he would discuss this problem with other administrative and law enforcement agencies and evolve an arrangement to effectively curb any incidents of harassment of private medical establishments.

Dr. Chandrabhan Singh, Secretary, IMA, Mysuru Branch, was also present along with other MAHAN office-bearers and prominent Private Hospital doctors of the city.