TEAM HERALD
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
MARGAO: Patients and relatives cried foul over a hike in dialysis service charges by Apollo Victor hospital on Monday.
A hike of Rs 250 per session triggered protests by patients, who claimed that each dialysis session will cost Rs 1,850 at Apollo’s, while the same service is available at a lower cost at other hospitals.
Apollo Victor Hospital management, however, denied the charge they were overcharging. Medical Director Dr Robert D’Costa said the hike was necessitated in view of rising input costs over the years.
Trouble broke out at around 7 am when patients lined up for the dialysis session as usual when they were informed about the Rs 250 hike per session. Incensed over the announcement, patients and their relatives bitterly protested over the decision and demanded a roll back. They also questioned the Apollo Victor Medical Director Dr Robert D’Costa, who maintained that the hospital had intimated the government about the decision, but lamented that it did not bother to get back to the hospital.
Apollo Victor Hospital Medical Director, Dr Robert D’Costa, later told newsmen that the high input cost has forced the hospital to hike the fees by Rs 250 per session. Since the inception of the dialysis centre at Apollo Victor Hospital, the charges for dialysis have remained the same. Despite rising costs of all inputs, cost of treatment was never increased and was borne by the hospital for the last few years. It is not possible to sustain this department without an increase,” he said, adding, “We are therefore constrained to inform that effective from July 1, the cost of the dialysis treatment is raised by Rs 250 per dialysis per patient”.
He said in the case of Mediclaim patients, as reimbursement received from the government is Rs 1,500 per dialysis session (including consumables), patients would be required to pay directly to the hospital a sum of Rs 250 for every dialysis session at the hospital. This amount is over and above the reimbursement of Rs 1,500 paid by the government to the hospital,” he added.
