Sarthak Kanjilall
Port Blair, October 28: Some critical patients referred to the outsourced hospitals at Chennai for treatment from GB Pant Hospital, Port Blair, allege that once the advance payment is received to the hospital under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, the mainland hospital sideline them and delay their treatment for unknown reasons.
Some patients also alleged that despite coming from Port Blair, the hospital authorities make them wait for a month, “either they say the patient is COVID positive or they just keep on taking the tests every alternate day, without even admitting patients,” alleged an attendee.
“When the ANISHI scheme was at the place, such issues never occurred but since the Ayushman Bharat Scheme was introduced, we don’t have any control,” said a senior officer of Andaman administration while highlighting the complaints from referred patients he receives all the time.
Mr. Abdul Salam, a mouth cancer patient, referred from Port Blair on 21st September to Adyar Cancer Institute, has not been treated yet and till now only tests are being conducted, without even admitting the patient.
“The first 15 days went as it is, as the hospital tested the patient corona positive, and since 15th October they are only conducting the tests, we are staying out in a lodge at our own expenses,” said the attendee of Mr. Abdul Salam.
Similar is the case with a Blood Cancer Patient of Dollygunj, he is under treatment at the hospital for more than a month and was also referred to the Adyar Cancer Institute from the GB Pant Hospital.
“We feel fishy as we don’t feel that for any analysis it takes such a long time,” said the attendee of both the patients.
When Andaman Sheekha contacted the Public Relations Officer of Adyar Cancer Institute, Mr. Babu, he said that the hospital needs time for diagnosis. Some cases are although investigated in no time.
He also said that the procedure of Ayushman Bharat Scheme is lengthy and for that, they do not stop the investigation.
He said that for diagnosis it takes 15-20 days and treatment depends on the diagnosis, certain cases need radiation that takes a minimum of 4-6 weeks and if it’s a surgery the treatment time will be 15-20 days, “the treatments are never delayed, it is prolonged,” said Mr. Babu.
“Previously we used to have our Dharamshala where we made patients stay, we provided free food but just because of COVID we had to stop that,” added the PRO of Adyar Cancer Institute.
Further talking to Andaman Sheekha, Mr. Krishna Moorthy, Voluntarily providing service to the Adyar Cancer Institute for decades and also taking care of the Andaman patients said that the Andaman patients treated in the hospital are on a first come first serve basis.
“We have already informed the PM-JAY and CMCHIS project office that we are operating on half the bed strength and whenever the patient comes it is our decision to check the patient and decide whether we can start the treatment of the patients immediately or not. Without seeing the patient we cannot decide,” said Mr. Krishna Moorthy.
Because the statements of both the authorities of the Adyar Cancer Hospital are a bit confusing, the patients referred from Andaman are now demanding the administration to formulate a certain mechanism so that they don’t suffer any delay or problems during the time of treatment at mainland hospitals.
Talking to Andaman Sheekha on this topic, Dr. Swati Saha Srimani, incharge of Ayushman Bharat Scheme in Andaman said that earlier the aforementioned empanelled hospital was active enough, and patients were happy, it never took so long to treat the referred patients back then but since the pandemic, they take a lot of time to examine and treat patients. “A ground inspection is necessary to check the flaws,” said Dr. Srimani.
