VIP syndrome reaches epidemic proportions in hospitals

HYDERABAD: The 'VIP syndrome,' which refers to the special treatment that a hospital is compelled to provide to politicians, wealthy businessmen, influential government officials, or high-profile bureaucrats admitted to the hospital, is affecting doctors at major hospitals. Consequently, both patients and healthcare providers suffer, and doctors' ability to perform their jobs is harmed.

There seems to be an epidemic of VIP syndrome in both private and public hospitals. Doctors frequently report that VIP entourages create problems for other patients and put extraordinary pressure on staff to provide additional care and attention. Dr A Sharath Reddy, director of CTO and complex coronary interventions at Medicover Hospitals, recalled how an MP suffering from a heart attack was brought to the hospital at midnight, accompanied by a group of up to 100 people. People accompanying the patient, he claims, usually put pressure on doctors to provide faster results, which affects the diagnosis. "When a doctor does not have enough time, long-term outcomes may suffer," Dr Reddy explained.

In addition, if the VIP's condition is critical, doctors will naturally be hesitant to take on the case. "If the patient dies on the surgery table, the hospital will have a major problem. The hospital may blame me for performing the surgery. When a VIP arrives with so many people, you are bound to instill fear in those who treat you, and once fear sets in, it blocks your wisdom, and only fear will guide you, not knowledge," Dr Reddy added.

According to doctors, hospitals will sometimes go out of their way to accommodate and please VIPs by circumventing all clinical protocols in order to receive something in return. VIPs and their entourages are well aware of this phenomenon and frequently take advantage of it.

VIPs, according to consultant physician Dr Rajesh Vukkala, instead of going to the emergency room like other patients, go straight to a senior management person at the hospital, such as a CFO or CEO.

"Members of the entourage frequently demand that certain tests be performed or refuse to allow certain tests to be performed. They make their own diagnosis and disregard what doctors say," Dr Vukkala explained. To avoid such situations, doctors advise hospitals to limit the number of people permitted to accompany VIPs on hospital premises.