BMC, Mumbaikars pay additional Rs 1.37 crore for basic blood tests at VN Desai Hospital

The BMC and Mumbaikars have ended up paying an additional Rs 1.37 crore for basic blood and pathology tests at VN Desai Hospital, Santacruz, as the administration, despite having the facilities for the tests, sent samples to a private lab under the Aapli Chikitsa scheme. This has come to light following an RTI query filed by mid-day. As part of the scheme, samples are sent to a third-party private lab if the facility is not available at that health centre. For basic tests, patients pay Rs 50 while BMC pays Rs 223. For advanced tests, a patient has to pay Rs 100 while the civic body pays Rs 892 per test.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation had started the Aapli Chikitsa scheme, aimed at improving laboratory services offered to citizens, at its peripheral hospitals, maternity homes and dispensaries making a provision to send samples from patients to an appointed private lab for tests which are not available at the centre.

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Beneficiaries wait to get vaccines at VN Desai Hospital, Santacruz. File pic

But the in-house laboratory staff have been taking advantage of the same and often send samples to the private lab despite having the facility. This despite the BMC spending crores to pay salary to its staff, providing space, and purchasing and maintenance of equipment as well as reagents.

The RTI response has revealed that simple tests like CBC, ESR, MP, urine and stool were sent to the private lab in addition to advanced tests such as CSF, pleural fluid tests even though the pathology lab at the hospital has all the equipment for the same. Between 2019 and April this year, the hospital sent 49,921 such samples for testing under Aapli Chikitsa scheme worth Rs 1.37 crore, causing a loss to the tune of R1.11 crore to BMC.

Hospital Superintendent Dr Prashant More downplayed the matter and told mid-day, "Due to COVID and sometimes due to non-functional machines, staff shortage and unavailability of reagents, the samples were sent for testing under Aapli Chikitsa. I will ask the in-house lab to do more testing."

A source from the hospital said, "The hospital has two CBC machines and surely both of them can't be malfunctioning at the same time. In fact tests like urine, stool and ESR don't even require machines or reagents." When mid-day asked the hospital authority about the same, they failed to give a satisfactory answer.

The in-house lab at the hospital has 3 doctors, 1 scientific officer, 10 technicians, one ward boy and two sweepers.

Former corporator Pradnya Bhutkar from H East ward said, "I haven't received any complaints about this from patients so far. If the hospitals are capable of doing basic tests then why are they sending them to Aapli Chikitsa? I will ask the hospital authorities and it should be investigated."

Health activist Chetan Kothari said, "There is quite a possibility that the malpractice is carried out due to an unholy nexus between the hospital who pays the bills and service provider. The hospital is purposefully increasing the bill, probably for kickbacks."

Test charges under Aapli Chikitsa

Basic tests
Patient: Rs 50
BMC: Rs 223
Advanced tests
Patient: Rs 100
BMC: Rs 892