Vikas Gupta says hospitals are no longer the small sad one-bed corner for the ill. They have become hotels that serve made to order treatments’.
Is it a sign of changing India? An India that is aspirational as it competes with the world in health and in sickness. Going by the growing numbers of Indians that are increasingly becoming unhealthy, it was a matter of time before business entrepreneurial mindset stepped in giving birth to the era of luxurious hospitals across India.
Gone is the era of a hospital that was perceived as not-for- profit mandir where doctors were gods who selflessly save peoples’ lives. In the past decade, hospitals have become hotels that serve treatment.
With obvious results. Dubai based ABV group plans to open luxury only suite hospitals by early 2017 in Mumbai that includes transporting patients in Rolls Royce cars! Some hospitals take care of not only the patients but their families and visitors too, like Fortis Memorial Research Institute in Gurgaon have in-house movie theatres and a lavish food court, so it can be called a hospital mall! Aster Medcity in Kochi has a 40-acre waterfront campus and provides beauty spa, thereby blending medical treatment with a serene and rejuvenating Kerala holiday. Dr L H Hiranandani Hospital in Mumbai contains an in house gym and also provides yoga classes’ everyday. According to Manish Joshi from Dr L H Hiranandani Hospital,” We also have valet parking, departmental store, café coffee day among other facilities which differentiates us”
Jaslok Hospital in Mumbai started a separate kitchen that will cook only Jain food in order to cater to religious patients from an affluent community who follow strict dietary principles. Jaslok Hospital, which has a sizeable customer base (patients) from Jain community said they did not want their patients to get food cooked from home and hence they started the new Jain kitchen.
Then there are Air ambulance services offered by prominent hospitals. According to Shahju from Deccan Charter Pvt. Ltd.,” Air ambulance is a fast growing industry. Delhi is the major market for air ambulance as there is an abundance of hospitals and the central location helps them to secure business from the north east, Patna and Bihar. There are 8-9 air ambulances in Delhi alone” Many hospitals in Mumbai and Delhi have applied for permissions to build helipad in their premises.
NRIs are a major target audience for such hospitals. The medical tourism industry in India is expected to increase from a current $3 billion to $8 billion by 2020, according to a report by Grant Thornton. According to Patients Beyond borders report, India is amongst the top destinations and the average savings for treatment from India as compared to USA is 60%-90%. Karan Bhalla from Health across borders (a medical tourism consultant) says: “We get a high volume of patients from Gulf countries, African countries and a few from America. Although the patients end up saving, a big reason for industry growth is faster appointments as compared to their home country. Foreign patients are satisfied with the treatment in few world class hospitals of India, not so much with the visa processes though”
But are the same customers paying it willingly or because they do not have a choice? India is massively short of hospitals per capita. According to a World Bank report, India has less than 1 bed per 1000 people and several individuals who have no option but to purchase the expensive services of profit hungry hospitals. Moreover, most hospitals are not maintaining the minimum reserve beds for patients of low income groups. Under the Bombay Public Trust Act 1950 it is obligatory to keep 10% beds free for poor and 10% at subsidized rates. But even such a law is fairy tale
According to Cehat report, an NGO specializing in research on hospitals in Mumbai, “The hospitals are reporting total number of patients availing free services which include inpatient and out patient, when most of the free care being given is in the form of outpatient.”
Medical is one recession-proof industry where cost price is never in question and is the bitterest pill to swallow. For example, an equipment supplier on condition of anonymity said, “the doctors ask us to overcharge the hospital for the equipment 200% over the cost price and then hospitals in turn charge 250% of their cost to the patients” hence more often a patient ends up paying 400% of the cost price of the equipment and this is excluding the doctors fee, commission from prescribing expensive and rare medicines and so on.
Many times hospitals convince patients to spend on redundant testing and treatment just because they are covered in insurance. India with an unequal society is a mix of many healthcare models. The important thing to note is that, we have a choice and it’s up to the patient to choose a cost beneficial unpleasant treatment or a costly vacation treatment.
