A small fever may cost Rs 50,000 in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Treating fevers in private hospitals is costing up to Rs 50,000 a patient. When the fever persists for more than 72 hours, a slew of diagnostic tests are prescribed to rule out dengue, swine flu, malaria and chikungunya.

Fever Hospital superintendent Dr K. Shanker said, “When fever persists for more than 72 hours, the symptoms have to be evaluated and tests carried out. According to the protocol, malaria comes first, followed by dengue due to its high prevalence. We don't test for all the diseases at the same time.”

Most private hospitals do just that. A senior general physician said, "If the fever persists for more than 72 hours, relatives ask why tests are not being done. They want to rule out all possibilities quickly. Hence, it’s a double-edged sword where we can’t ignore a single test because we want to wait and see what the test results of two or three diseases are."

Senior general physicians, who have been treating fevers, said that panic was being created deliberately. Dr G.V. Reddy, who practices at Lakdikapul, said, “Once the patient goes to the hospital they are told about the increasing dengue, swine flu and chikungunya cases and that convinces them to opt for tests as they want to rule out all possibilities. The moot point is that once affected with high fever, and after taking medicines, it is important to rest. The rest factor is completely missing as the body is not being given a chance to heal.”

According to hospital administration sources, those who have insurance are subjected to a lot of tests and patients are willing to take them as they know that they are covered.

Ms Kavitha Vasvani, an insurance agent, said, “Only in cases of reimbursement are the patients careful as they have to shell out a huge sum initially and reclaim it later. In such insurance covers, patients do not allow unwanted expenses and monitor the outgoings all the time."

Fever is not covered in insurance policies, and hospitals therefore list the complications that could necessitate a stay in the hospital. There have been more than five lakh fever cases recorded in the state in the last three months and more than 60 per cent opted for treatment in private hospitals.

A senior government official said, “We need to have proper government facilities in the existing units of public health centres and at the Fever Hospital to treat a simple thing like fever as many patients are being subjected to expensive treatment when they don't need to be.”

Unnecessary tests, big bills
Diagnosing fever profiles has become a huge business for diagnostic centres and hospitals. A fever profile, according to protocol, involves complete blood count, complete urine test, kidney function test and test for malaria parasite.

Dr Yadgiri Rao, senior general physician and member of the Indian Medical Asso-ciation said, “These tests cost only '300 but that’s not being done. Instead, on the very first day, for most patients, dengue, chi-kungunya and other tests are being carried out. Patients are charged '2000 to '3,500 for all these tests on the first day.”

Fever cases had increased after the recent floods and there was a beeline of patients to even the smallest of clinics in the city.

A senior doctor said, “Whoever comes with very high temperature and complains of body ache, joint pains and a runny nose is sent for all tests. All of them do not require the tests but there is no mechanism in place to stop this practice.”

Senior doctors say patients are being sent to diagnostic centres that give commissions. A senior doctor said, “Only a handful of old and charitable diagnostic centres are not giving commissions. They have clearly told doctors that no money will be paid to them. Due to this there is a major quarrel going on and many of them are upset that such cheap rates still exist in the market.”

Most patients are going on their own and getting their profiles done in these diagnostic centres in Abids, Secunderabad, Nampally, and Alwal.