'We were billed for silly things like cotton, toothbrush, toothpaste, moisturiser, hand sanitiser, etc.'
'They did HIV tests worth Rs 6,000 which were neither relevant nor required.'
Rediff.com reader Monali Gaikwad Pradeep shares her Hospital Horror Story...
Photograph: Robert Couse-Baker/Creative Commons
In 2010 when my husband complained of breathing difficulty at 3 am, I rushed him to the emergency ward at a hospital in Mulund, a north-central Mumbai suburb. By the time we reached, he was feeling better. But we thought it was best to check with a doctor to rule out any complications.The doctor at the hospital did some preliminary checks and asked if we have insurance. I said yes, and that's when the nightmare began.
The doctor scared us into believing that my husband needed to be in the ICU to monitor his heartbeat, and it couldn't be done in the general ward.
He had to go through a series of tests, none of which were conclusive.
He was not administered any medication. He was then asked to stay in the hospital for another day under 'observation'.
My cashless claim was rejected because he was not administered any treatment as such. At the end of it all, we had to shell out Rs 30,000 for nothing!
We were billed for things like cotton, toothbrush, toothpaste, moisturiser, hand sanitizer, etc.
They did some HIV tests worth Rs 6,000 which were neither relevant nor required.
We trusted the better judgment of the doctors to ensure good treatment. But it turned out to be just a money-making racket, where the medical fraternity feasts on our fears to make money.
PS: Online research later revealed it was tachycardia, which is induced by excessive flatulence sometimes. All my husband needed to do was fart.
***
'Admitted for 15 days for nothing'
Rediff.com reader Prasad sent in this Hospital Horror Story.
I was admitted for fever and headache to a so-called multi-specialty hospital chain in Kerala.
I was first asked to report to the neurologist, who suggested an MRI of my head.
They could not find anything, and admitted me to the hospital for 15 days.
They did all tests available at the hospital on me, including the AIDS test.
All through those 15 days I was given antibiotics through IVF. They could not find any symptoms or disease in me and discharged me after 15 days.
I was also shocked to see the medical report they were preparing internally, which claimed I had a liver disorder because I was a drunkard.
I have never even touched alcohol in my life. I saw the report and protested, following which they removed the remark from my reports.
After that I have never taken anyone from my family to that hospital.
Note: Image used only for representational purpose
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Hospital Horror: From numb hands to quadriplegia
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