Many Indian doctors under pressure to meet revenue targets: Report

London, Sep 4: Many doctors working in India's private hospitals are under pressure to carry out unnecessary tests and procedures to meet revenue targets, says a report published in the journal The BMJ. "Doctors who face pressure from hospital management to overprescribe surgeries or investigations fear for their livelihood," explained Gautam Mistry, a Kolkata-based cardiologist. "Also they need to practise for a certain number of years, and by complaining they would be jeopardising their career," he pointed out. Pune-based gynaecologist Arun Gardre said the main aim of multispeciality hospitals in India is to generate revenue and profits for their investors. "In the race to earn higher profits, conscience takes a back seat, and doctors are encouraged to indulge in unethical practices," Gardre noted. However, some doctors, including Devi Shetty, chairman of the Narayana Health Group which runs 32 hospitals for profit in 20 locations in India and abroad, disagree about the ubiquity of financial targets for doctors. According to Shetty, setting financial goals for a doctor is not a common practice in India.