Stent making unit for Cardiac patients in Telangana state urged
Hyderabad, March.15: The imperative need for setting up a Stent manufacturing unit in the state to check private hospitals from fleecing cardiac patients by overcharging for the same was echoed in the State Assembly on Friday.
Congress members T. Ram Mohan Reddy, S.A.Sampathkumar, G. Chinna Reddy and Jeevan Reddy during question hour raised the issue of private and corporate hospitals forcing cardiac patients to go in for Stents even for minor heart ailments.
The members pointed out that as per 2014 records as many as 18,000 persons died in Telangana state of cardiac arrests. They alleged that the the prices of the stents varied from hospital to hospital. While NIMS charged Rs.60,000/-, the price ranged from Rs.One lakh to Rs.1.50 lakh in various hospitals. The disparity in the prices of the stents is mainly because there is no MRP fixed for them.
Chinna Reddy pointed out thatg though in the earlier stages the stents were imported from abroad, now they were being manufactured here in the country, but their quality was not upto the mark. Since 890 percent of the cardiac patients preferred treatment in private or corporate hospitals, these hospitals were fleecing the patients by charging their own rates. However, the Central Government during February 2017 has fixed a price for the stents and as a result the stent operations in private hospitals has come down drastically, he pointed.
The Congress member further pointed out that since the Telangana Government was trying to make Hyderabad City as a Health Hub, a stent manufacturing unit should be set up here to enable the needy cardiac patients to get not only quality stents but also at affordable prices. He also urged the need for strict supervision for making available stents at uniform prices in all the hospitals and also constitute a helpline on the lines of the one created by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing agency.
Jeevan Reddy expressed concern over the pathetic conditions in NIMS hospitals where according to him ventilators were not available and also there was shortage of beds for emergency cases. This was resulting the hospitals authorities refusing to admit patients, he said and urged the Health Minister to make a surprise visit to NIMS to initiate needed corrective measures.
TRS member Srinivas Goud also charged that the hospitals were resorting to unscrupulous practices by going for unwanted surgeries even for minor cardiac ailments. He also stressed the need for not only making available quality stents but also at affordable prices in all the hospitals.
Replying to the main question and also on the spate of supplementary questions, the Minister for Health C. Laxma Reddy tried to allay the concerns of the members regarding cardiac patients being fleeced by the hospitals by overcharging for stents. He assured that the government would deal firmly with any hospital indulging in over charging or performing unwanted surgeries. Already 38 hospitals were inspected for ensuring that the stents were made available at the fixed price.
The Health Minister further said that the Telangana Medical Council had initiated action against nine hospitals. With regard to revamping of facilities in NIMS he said already 109 ventilators were made available in the hospitals apart from increasing the 40 emergency beds to 100. The Government is also contemplating to establish three or four hospitals on the lines of NIMS in Hyderabad
Congress members T. Ram Mohan Reddy, S.A.Sampathkumar, G. Chinna Reddy and Jeevan Reddy during question hour raised the issue of private and corporate hospitals forcing cardiac patients to go in for Stents even for minor heart ailments.
The members pointed out that as per 2014 records as many as 18,000 persons died in Telangana state of cardiac arrests. They alleged that the the prices of the stents varied from hospital to hospital. While NIMS charged Rs.60,000/-, the price ranged from Rs.One lakh to Rs.1.50 lakh in various hospitals. The disparity in the prices of the stents is mainly because there is no MRP fixed for them.
Chinna Reddy pointed out thatg though in the earlier stages the stents were imported from abroad, now they were being manufactured here in the country, but their quality was not upto the mark. Since 890 percent of the cardiac patients preferred treatment in private or corporate hospitals, these hospitals were fleecing the patients by charging their own rates. However, the Central Government during February 2017 has fixed a price for the stents and as a result the stent operations in private hospitals has come down drastically, he pointed.
The Congress member further pointed out that since the Telangana Government was trying to make Hyderabad City as a Health Hub, a stent manufacturing unit should be set up here to enable the needy cardiac patients to get not only quality stents but also at affordable prices. He also urged the need for strict supervision for making available stents at uniform prices in all the hospitals and also constitute a helpline on the lines of the one created by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing agency.
Jeevan Reddy expressed concern over the pathetic conditions in NIMS hospitals where according to him ventilators were not available and also there was shortage of beds for emergency cases. This was resulting the hospitals authorities refusing to admit patients, he said and urged the Health Minister to make a surprise visit to NIMS to initiate needed corrective measures.
TRS member Srinivas Goud also charged that the hospitals were resorting to unscrupulous practices by going for unwanted surgeries even for minor cardiac ailments. He also stressed the need for not only making available quality stents but also at affordable prices in all the hospitals.
Replying to the main question and also on the spate of supplementary questions, the Minister for Health C. Laxma Reddy tried to allay the concerns of the members regarding cardiac patients being fleeced by the hospitals by overcharging for stents. He assured that the government would deal firmly with any hospital indulging in over charging or performing unwanted surgeries. Already 38 hospitals were inspected for ensuring that the stents were made available at the fixed price.
The Health Minister further said that the Telangana Medical Council had initiated action against nine hospitals. With regard to revamping of facilities in NIMS he said already 109 ventilators were made available in the hospitals apart from increasing the 40 emergency beds to 100. The Government is also contemplating to establish three or four hospitals on the lines of NIMS in Hyderabad