Small Hospitals..hv 2b saved..
----
Traditionally the USP of small Hospitals of India has been their affordability, easy accessibility ,the compassionate doctors working in these small hospitals and the personal rapport these small hospitals establish with the local population.
Till a couple of yrs back one could easily have started a small 10-15 bedded hospital with miniscule investment.The modest running cost of a small healthcare facility made it a sustainable and popular model of healthcare delivery and the resulting decent net profits made it a lucrative option for thousands of doctors across India .
Besides providing jobs to lacs, this concept of healthcare delivery made doctors independent,confident ,free from clutches of the terrible external world and irrepressible.
Naturally it was this freedom that caused much hurt burn and unease to many (Bureaucrats,Politicians and Me lords specially).
Even, doctors working in govt. sector and corporate hospitals had this option and never ever felt insecure.They always had the option to start their own hospital whenever they felt unsatisfied in the job.It is this concept of healthcare delivery which has allowed lacs of Indian doctors to live and work with dignity and pride. I
In a society badly infested with corruption in public services life of an ethical doctor is often miserable in the govt sector too.
It is this model of healthcare delivery that has protected thousands of Indian doctors from "a cruel corporate world" where vultures r always ready to suck even the last drop of blood of their employees.
...
But now things r changing fast.
This model of healthcare delivery is in real trouble.
Now even in tier 3 cities and small towns one needs to invest in crores to start a small 25 bedded hospital (Minimal bed strength mandatory for most insurance scheme).
...
Expensive technology, skyrocketing land prices,things like NABH,and considerable increase in overhead expenses have exponentially increased the running cost of a small healthcare facility. For example, Pollution control board fee which never bothered hospital owners much in the past, was silently increased to 10 times in Rajasthan in the last 5 yrs and surprisingly no one is questioning the authorities .
Then there are ever increasing medicolegal and consumer court issues which always hang like a sword on our neck and create a kind of fear psychosis.
We should always remember that Small hospitals can never compete with Big corporates when it comes to facilities,funds,use of technology and scale but Small Hospitals still survived all these years and performed well because despite offering cheap and affordable healthcare they were always a profit making entity ,thanks to our low running cost and direct supervision.
After cashless Health insurance schemes like Ayushman, affordability won't be an issue for public ,giving a big edge to corporate hospitals.
Then how do the small hospitals survive ??..is a million dollar question which must be answered with utmost priority.Not only the doctors and owners of small hospitals but doctors working in corporate hospitals and govt. sector should be equally worried because they are going to suffer equally.
The biggest challenge of all our Medical Associations and we individually, hv today, is to save this endangered entity called "Small Hospitals."
...
Today the world is laughing at BSNL and Jet Airways.... Tomorrow We,the doctors could be the laughing stock.!
ટિપ્પણીઓ નથી:
ટિપ્પણી પોસ્ટ કરો