Govt should monitor activities of private hospitals and medical centres

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It has been revealed that most private hospitals and nursing homes in the country charge exorbitant amounts from patients. Although this matter was brought to the notice of authorities, no positive response has so far been received.

When the Sunday Observer interviewed the public on this issue, the Principal of a public school in the Sabaragamuwa Province, Piyasena Karunaratne said not only private hospitals, but also certain doctors are in the habit of charging higher amounts from patients without considering the pathetic living conditions of people.

He requested Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva to submit a Cabinet paper in this regard to stop charging unfair fees.

He said in many hospitals in Tamil Nadu, India, doctors do not go beyond the rules and regulations imposed by the Government.

Chartered Accountant, Sarojani Perimpenayagam said she admitted her daughter to a nursing home in Colombo at about 6 p.m. to get treatment for respiratory difficulty.

“A nurse had injected antibiotics until the doctor returned about 7 a.m. and due to this my daughter’s condition became worse”.

She said the nurse had done it inadvertently and however the child was kept in the hospital for about five days due to this medical negligence.

She therefore, urged authorities to implement rules and regulations for private hospitals and nursing homes and prohibit them from employing untrained girls as nurses.

Managing Director, Anuradha Gamalath said the majority of doctors in private hospitals earn money within a short duration without paying much attention to patients.

“As this is also a kind of medical negligence, I urge doctors, especially who are working in private hospitals and nursing homes to refrain from charging exorbitant fees from poor patients”.

W.N.D. Gunawardane of Maradana wanted the Health Ministry to appoint a Government doctor to the director board of each private hospital in the country.

“So that, lots of irregularities which are taking place in private hospitals can be monitored well”.

Schoolteacher, Viveka Sundaralingam of Kelaniya said she had to file a case in the district court of Colombo against a private nursing home in Kandy following the death of her husband.

“I took my husband to a private hospital rather than to a Government hospital for better treatment, but I found the doctors serving in these hospitals do not want to treat the patients quickly and also they have no intention to send patients home,”.

She said the intention of private hospitals is not to do a better service for patients but to earn a lot of money by keeping them for a long period and this must be condemned by everybody.

Businessman, Gamini Kolombage last year had sued the management of a private hospital in Colombo for Rs. two million, alleging that his father died due to the negligence of the hospital staff.

“I took my father to a very popular nursing home in Colombo following his sudden wheeze”.

He said he took the patient around 4 a.m. but the specialist doctor visited the ward at 7.30 p.m. and prescribed some medicine.

“The doctor checked my father for less than five minutes as he was about to see some patients before going to usual work in the Government hospital.

However, my father died the same evening due to the carelessness of the doctor.

“Therefore, I appeal to the doctors in the country not to play with the lives of innocent patients for the sake of money”.

Film Director Suranimala Wakista blamed certain doctors working in private hospitals and said that their intention is not to treat patients properly but to earn money.

He said when he was admitted to a private hospital for a half an hour minor surgery on his finger, he had to pay Rs. 24,000”. “It is up to all private hospitals and doctors to think whether this amount was fair?”.

A mother of three, Kamalika Rodrigo said her ten-year-old son was admitted to a private nursing home at Moragahahena following dehydration.

As the nursing home had neither qualified doctors nor proper facilities, I had to take him to a Government Hospital at Potupitiwela. She said she later found that only two persons treat patients in the Moragahahena nursing home were medical students who are not qualified as doctors.

She therefore wanted the Health Ministry to deploy a flying squad to crackdown unqualified persons, employed in private hospitals posing as qualified doctors.

Caroline Menike of Kiriberiya related a story of a 26-year-old mother Somawathi Peris who died in a state owned Maternity Hospital at Kalutara after giving birth to a baby boy.

She said the VOG took more than two hours to attend on her, although the doctor was informed one hour before the condition of the pregnant mother.

It was later revealed that the VOG was attending to another pregnant mother at a private nursing home in Kollupitiya.

Therefore, I appeal to the Health Ministry to pay special attention to such cases and take legal action against the relevant doctors who neglect their official work and attend to private matters during office hours.

Nirmala Dias of Nedimala said her uncle’s daughter Kumudumali was taken to a private nursing home in Kandy to treat a wound on her leg, but went home without one arm.

“We admitted her to get treatment for her filaria infected leg, but the doctors treated her for some other ailment.”

“I am quite sure that the amputation was done due to negligence on the part of the nursing staff and doctors, therefore I appeal to the health authorities to appoint a committee to look into such matters as they very often happen in both private and state hospitals.

Dr. Shirani Walgampaya said that negligence of doctors and nurses in private hospitals are common and related a story that one of her friends good tooth was extracted instead of the bad one.

Later, it was found that the dentist who removed the good tooth was a student still studying at the Peradeniya Dental faculty.

“Therefore, I appeal to the Government to take measures to safeguard patients from bogus doctors in private hospitals.

A receptionist in a Forwarding Company Shehani Walisundara said that the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry wanted to set up a special Board to look into the activities of private hospitals.

“But it is pathetic as it did not work out properly.”

R.M. Edwin wanted the Government to bring legislation to pay compensation to patients who are victims of medical negligence of doctors in both Private and state hospitals.

Businessman, T.M. Dayananda wanted the Government to enact laws to enable people who meet with numerous accidents to get free medical treatment in private medical centres and private hospitals.

Sriyani Suraweera said some private hospitals offer rooms at higher charges to patients without providing ordinary rooms.

She said their intention is to keep ordinary rooms and earn more money from other rooms and this must be checked by authorities in order to protect patients.

A mother of two S. Fathima wanted the Government to monitor the activities of all private medical centres in villages and check whether unqualified doctors are employed.

Pix: Vipula Amarasinghe