Maharashtra govt's power panel to examine 'high' treatment cost at Wadia hospitals

MUMBAI: The "high" cost of treatment at Wadia hospitals, once the primary choice for most middle- and low-income families seeking maternity and child care, has emerged as a serious contention in the tussle with BMC. TOI has learnt that a high-level panel set up by the state on Tuesday will scrutinize allegations of treatment costs at Bai Jerbai Wadia Children's and Nowrosjee Wadia Maternity hospitals being "exorbitant" and "not at par" with public hospitals.

Hospital insiders said that in 2018, the children's hospital saw an unprecedented four- to six-fold rise in cost of general surgeries besides hikes in rates of investigations and bed charges, such that it drew protests even from some doctors. Cost of minor surgeries, for instance, rose from Rs 500 to Rs 4,000 while major surgeries was up from Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000. For supra major surgeries, it was a staggering rise from Rs 6,000 to Rs 20,000 and for special category surgeries, like laparoscopic ones, it rose from Rs 7,000 to Rs 30,000.

A doctor told TOI that with rise in surgery charges alone, overall cost of minor operations crossed Rs 15,000, whereas earlier it was in the range of Rs 2,000-5,000. "Worse was the hike in rates of minor procedures. From Rs 100, it rose to Rs 1,000 overnight, making it unaffordable to the poor," said the doctor. Soon after the hike, doctors said there were frequent fights in wards with patients shocked at fat bills. "The fights became so common that consent forms had to be printed with rates on them," said another doctor, adding that there was no official communication about the big jump in rates then.

Additional civic commissioner Suresh Kakani said BMC was never told of a hike of this scale. "We will be looking into this," he said. Civic officials said since the Children's hospital gets about 85% of grants from BMC, treatment costs should principally be comparable to BMC rates. "A supra major surgery at a BMC hospital costs Rs 5,000-7,000," said a dean.

A Wadia doctor said for certain procedures, rates were higher than private nursing homes. Wadia CEO Dr Minnie Bodhanwala said there were no discussions around cost at a meet chaired by the CM. "The matter is sub judice, so we cannot comment," she said.

Malad resident Kishor Kadam, who took his 13-year-old daughter to the hospital with breathing difficulty in January, was shocked at the demand for a Rs 10,000 deposit for admission. Helper at a roadside stall, his daughter was born with a congenital condition and has had four surgeries at the hospital since birth. "But I never paid more than Rs 2,000," he said.

When TOI called the hospital about delivery charges, an employee on phone started with private rates. She said a normal delivery in a single AC room could touch Rs 70,000, while that of a C-section could touch one lakh.