Private hospitals ignoring us: Yashaswini beneficiaries

BENGALURU: Poor beneficiaries of the ambitious rural health scheme of the state government, Yashaswini, provided to members of rural cooperative societies now has a list of complaints against the few network hospitals of the city. Their allegation was that they were not treated properly and their health issues were not taken care of by the hospitals.

According to patients who have enrolled under this health insurance scheme by paying Rs 250 as the premium amount, their problems include non-availability of senior specialists, rationing of consultation hours (which is just two days in a week in a majority of private hospitals in the city) and the demanding of the difference in the amount for surgeries fixed by the Yeshaswini Trust and the actual at the time of admission itself.

According to Mrs. Saroja Rao, (name changed) a resident of Dharwad, who visited three private hospitals in the city for her husband’s cancer treatment, said that even though the hospitals visited were on the list of network hospitals, she could not avail of any treatment as her husband was a Yeshaswini beneficiary.

“In one hospital, they informed us that my husband could get consultation from senior surgeons twice a week. In two other hospitals they wanted me to deposit Rs 50,000 as a differential amount prior to admission. “My husband is now undergoing treatment at a government hospital,” she said.

This is not an isolated case. Many patients who have Yashaswini coverage allege that most of the time, hospitals discourage them from getting treatment and suggest other hospitals. According to Mrs. Roja Kumari, a resident of Malleshwaram, whose father has Yashaswini coverage, says, that at every stage of treatment, patients are discriminated against. “We never get a warm reception and are treated badly. So, it is better to opt for private insurance companies which have a cashless facility and these patients are taken care of properly,” she said.

BS Harish, Additional Registrar of Cooperative Societies, said that the department had received many similar complaints from Yashaswini beneficiaries. “Maybe it’s because we release the amount a bit late. But whenever we receive complaints from patients against any hospital over non-admission or treatment related issues, we issue a warning to such hospitals and ensure quality treatment to all patients. If any patient lodges a complaint, we sort it out immediately.” “The Yashaswini Health Scheme, has transformed the lives of lakhs of patients,” he said.