Dengue scare Private hospitals, diagnostic centres fleece patients in Mahbubnagar

Mahbubnagar: The fear of wide spread of dengue among the public has come as a blessing in disguise for the private hospitals and diagnostic centres across the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district, as they are earning quick bucks by prescribing unnecessary tests for blood platelet check even for the patients suffering with viral and normal fevers.

Going by the statistics provided by the district health department, every day as many as 16,000 people across erstwhile district are visiting both government and private hospitals for various kinds of fevers. Of them about 3,800 people on an average visit the government hospitals, while another 12,596 people visit various private hospitals for availing treatment for various viral and vector born diseases every day across erstwhile Mahbubnagar district.

If one looks at the statistics, majority public are visiting the private hospitals and clinics and bearing the brunt of higher healthcare costs as they are forced to spend for diagnostic tests even for normal viral fevers. "Recently, I got fever and visited a private clinic, however, the doctor at the clinic after checking my temperature prescribed tests for dengue, malaria and chikungunya, had to spend more than Rs. 2,000 for just tests and later I was told that my platelets are on the declining and advised me to join as inpatient.

As I was already terrified with fever, I joined and stayed in the hospital for 3 days, where the hospital charged 30,000 ," says Kisan das, a patient, who had undergone treatment for possible dengue fever. At present in Mahbubnagar alone, the general government hospital has registered 334 dengue cases and the authorities are providing dengue tests for free of cost. Overall across erstwhile Mahbubnagar there have been 427 dengue cases registered at all the district hospitals in Mahbubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Gadwal and Wanaparthy and Narayanpet districts. Among these hospitals Mahbubnagar district has witnessed maximum dengue cases while Narayanpet has witnessed only 2 cases.

While the public are under the grip of fear of being contacting dengue fevers, the government hospital authorise are urging the public not to approach private hospitals as there are chances of misleading them and take the advantage of the situation for selfish gains. "We at government general hospital are having all facilities for diagnosing dengue fevers. Therefore we urge the public to utilise it and not fall prey to the private hospitals, as it will burden them heavily," said Rajini, DMHO Mahabubnagar.

However, the people are urging the government to keep a tab on the private hospitals and diagnostic centres who are taking advantage of the situation and fleecing them with exorbitant healthcare costs.