Health ministry clarifies issue

Says while rates for private rooms may increase, costs for general wards won't be hiked. MiD DAY had reported the controversy on December 16

Says while rates for private rooms may increase, costs for general wards won't be hiked. MiD DAY had reported the controversy on December 16

It took a letter from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to clear the air on a controversy that has been brewing at one of the country's premier medical institutions for almost a fortnight now.



On December 16 MiD DAY had reported that authorities at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) are considering imposing user charges on facilities that were free so far. Also costs of some treatments that were already chargeable were set to be hiked by about ten times.u00a0u00a0

The mail sent by the ministry has clarified on the matter. "While the Standing Finance Committee and the Governing Body of AIIMS have approved a proposal for increasing the charges for the private rooms in the Institute and for various procedures and services provided to patients admitted to private wards, the Governing Body, at the same time, also decided that the additional revenue to be generated through such enhancement would be used to drive down the cost for various services and procedures in the general wards," it says.

Going rate
"Even this enhancement has not been given effect to as AIIMS is yet to set in place the required mechanisms for providing required consumables and medicines etc. that patients admitted to private wards are presently required to procure on their own.u00a0

No proposal whatsoever was considered by the Standing Finance Committee or General Body either to increase the charges for general wards or to introduce new charges", says the mail.
The letter also explains the reason for asking for details of rates of various procedures and equipment from various departments.

"The circular issued by the Financial Adviser, AIIMS in November, 2010 asking for details of various user charges in the Institute is based on a questionnaire developed by the Costing Accounting Unit of the Ministry of Finance.u00a0 It only seeks to collect information about the costs being incurred on various services and procedures in the Institute and also to determine whether the user charges have been determined rationally and are not excessive.u00a0u00a0 This was not intended for increasing the user charges or maximizing revenue," it says. Dr RC Deka, Director, AIIMS refused to comment on the issue.

"We have received a letter from the financial advisor to give all details about equipment and procedures. We have to give them information on the charges as soon as possible," said a senior doctor on the condition of anonymity.

Free spirit
Many services in the hospital are offered free of cost, except a few radiological tests and few highly specialised procedures. Paid tests include colour x-ray, ultrasound and CT scan. Also, several surgical procedures cost virtually nothing. Patients only need to pay when any equipment or medicine is brought from the outside. According to sources, the institute has been trying to impose user charges for the past several years. But all attempts have failed.
"They tried to impose user charges in 2005 as well. But, they had to retract their decision within eight months. In fact, the rates were reduced to zero in 2006," added the doctor. Some of the organisations such as AIIMS Front for Social Consciousness (AFFSC) and Progressive Medicos and Scientist Forum (PMSF) have been fighting against the institute commercialising healthcare.
"In the name of rationalising charges, the attempt of the government is to turn healthcare into just another business. We stopped them from imposing user charges in 2005 and we will again do it," said a member of PMSF.

1956
The year AIIMS was established in

Rs 450cr
Approx amount the institute receives as endowment every year

Sore spot

MiD DAY had reported on December 15 about 164 ad hoc appointments made by former director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Dr P Venugopal in his tenure that are once again raising eyebrows. Sixteen members of parliament have written a complaint to Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad; one has also approached Law Minister M Veerappa Moily regarding the issue. The institute is on the verge of recruiting those 164 assistant professors as associate professors. As per some AIIMS doctors, all the appointments are illegal. "All of them have reached to this level by violating laws. The institute itself is violating the rules by recruiting these doctors," said a senior doctor on the condition of anonymity. The appointments were made in 2003 when Venugopal was the dean of the institute. Then Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and Venugopal were locked in battle since the anti-reservation agitation in 2006 at the Institute, which reportedly had the director's backing. The letter to the health minister, a copy of which is with MiD DAY, clearly mentions the flaws in the administration of the institute while making the appointments. It also mentions how the institute has been violating the rules for these appointees.