09 The Medical Bridge 25 Nov–1 Dec 2011
JIT KUMAR
Clinics
{ Hritvick Sen / FG }
G
urgaon has some of the best hospitals in the country. The city is host to a booming medical tourism industry. Thousands of foreign nationals come from all parts of the world to avail Gurgaon’s affordable; (in dollars), yet quality healthcare. But what about medicare for the city’s public? Where do they go for treatment of their ailments? For Gurgaonites, there are affordable public hospital services at one end, and a medical megapolis like Medanta at the other. Bridging the gap are Clinics and Nursing Homes. They offer better hygiene and care-giving than public hospitals; and are not as expensive as the bigger, multi-specialty hospitals. At the moment, “there are over 200 clinics in the city,” says a medical official. In a clinic, there is a doctor (or a panel of doctors specialising in different streams). Some may just be consultation-specific; and others have beds for admitting patients. As one doctor puts it, “Everyone can’t go to a hospital. The queues are long; and/or the fees are high. Clinics offer some form of ‘screening’, for patients. If the ailment can be cured on the spot or easily, there is no need to go to a hospital.”
A hospital is capable of all kinds of medical intervention. A clinic is more suited for specific procedures. In a way, it is ‘different facilities for different needs’.
Rajat Goel CEO and co-founder of Eye Q Super-Specialty Hospital
It’s been a year since I opened my clinic in South City-II. My reason for opening a clinic? Personal touch. People want to connect to their physician.
he suffers an attack in the midst of a procedure, I don’t have an emergency care unit to give him survival care. In those situations, multi-speciality hospitals are better-equipped.” Dr. Chesta Yadav, who has opened a dental clinic ‘Care For Smile’ five months ago, on Jharsa Road, says, “If I were to name a positive trait of clinics, I’ll have to say affordable medical services. A big hospital would charge twice or thrice the amount, for the same procedure.” And some patients recognise this fact. Anil Bhatnagar, a mall manager, says, “I was persuaded by my relatives to go to a large hospital, for a mild tummy-ache
C ivic/Social
go anywhere except my neighbourhood doctor.”
Joining Hands..
Nowadays, it is a practice of doctors to become ‘consultants’ for big established hospitals. As a doctor says, “You can either become a ‘referrer’, or a parttime consultant. You can refer a patient to a big hospital; or, you can treat a patient at the hospital itself—in either case, you’ll be compensated. You can also give a specific amount of time to the hospital, and even get a ‘fixed’ remuneration for that.” Dr. Arora says, “I had joined a hospital earlier; but I left it almost immediately. I was asked
Dr Sumit Arora Maxillofacial Surgeon
Paediatrician Dr. Suresh Keshan opines, “Clinics have the advantage of helping form a bond with the patient. When they take treatment from a hospital, people complain of getting brusque and impatient answers; undergo too many tests for a single ailment, and pay a tidy sum. When they are not explained what is the ailment, and why the tests are required, there is also some loss of faith in the care-giver.” Continuing, Dr. Keshan says, “We, on the other hand, have to create trust in the patient. Otherwise, why will he come back? And that is even more true in our speciality. Children are very finicky, and have to be handled carefully.” Maxillofacial Surgeon Dr. Sumit Arora says, “It’s been a year since I opened my clinic in South City-II. My reason for opening a clinic? Personal touch. People want to connect to their physician. Yes, there were times, at the start, when I was idle for weeks.” Now, he has assistants to manage his schedule. Dr. Arora says, “Our hard work, and the trust of our patients, paid off when our clinic (Stoma Dentals) received the Arch of Excellence for being the Best Dental Clinic in the city, for this year.” “I can say that some big hospitals are fleecing the patients in the name of treatment. They are cashing in on the fear of the patients. Why else would they charge so much for paltry operations?” In that case, are clinics better than hospitals? “Both are needed. We can be good in certain parameters, we can be the best in others—but we cannot cover all. The advantage of clinics over hospitals is that people know the doctor they’re going to. There’s the vital element of trust. We carry out ‘planned procedures’ . Aside from that, I know that there are some things for which I have to refer my patients to a hospital. For example, if my patient comes for a tooth extraction, and I see that he has had a dialysis or a heart attack three months earlier, it would be foolish of me to treat him. If
Clinics have the advantage of helping form a bond with the patient. When they take treatment from a hospital, people complain of getting brusque and impatient answers; undergo too many tests for a single ailment, and pay a tidy sum. When they are not explained what is the ailment, and why the tests are required, there is also some loss of faith in the care-giver.
Dr. Suresh Keshan Paediatrician
that had been bothering me for a few days. I took their advice. Even before entering the premises, I was charged Rs. 50 for the parking. Imagine, that is more than what our mall charges for weekend shoppers. Then, as soon as I told my problems to the doctor, he quietly handed out a list of tests to be carried out. I mean, would someone tell me what’s going on? Then, when the test results came, I was told that I also had a skin ailment; and was subjected to another battery of tests. The whole episode cost me Rs. 20,000. I swear I’ll never
Clinics, Hospitals and Post-Graduate Institutes (PGIs) form primary, secondary and tertiary levels of healthcare. If every person were to go to Hospitals and PGIs for coughs and colds, it would be anarchy.
Dr N.K. Jain Haryana’s ex-Director of Health Services
It’s been a year since I opened my clinic in South City-II. My reason for opening a clinic? Personal touch. People want to connect to their physician.
Dr Chesta Yadav Dentist
to perform an operation outside my specified hours, cutting into the clinic time with my patients. I kept getting calls from them, that I had to ignore. That was when I decided to concentrate on one thing; and that was my own practice.”
Loss Of Faith
Haryana’s ex-director of Health Services Dr. N.K. Jain puts it in perspective. He says, “Clinics, Hospitals and PostGraduate Institutes (PGIs) form primary, secondary and tertiary levels of healthcare. If every person were to go to Hospitals and PGIs for coughs and colds, it would be anarchy. Clinics play an important role; they ‘screen’
serious cases from the run-ofthe-mill cold, cough and fever.” Why has the ‘family doctor’ of the earlier decade vanished? The veteran paediatrician answers, “It is the public’s loss of faith in the healer. Earlier, for any ailment, the whole family used to go to one doctor. He represented the medical profession, and everything good in it. When I was posted in Bihar, I have performed procedures outside my expertise. I’ve delivered babies, attended to gynae problems, and treated various diseases. There was no one else to do it. And when the patient’s family trusts you, you feel a huge responsibility. Even now, I get calls from Patna and other places, asking my advice on medical problems. That was the value of a doctor.” “Now,” he says, “There are ‘specialists’, and there is more choice. The public is also more educated, more aware. They want second opinions. The credibility of the doctor is, in a way, being undermined. Would you really blame the doctor is he asks for more tests, when superficial examination is inconclusive? It is better to be safe than sorry. Being wrong would cost the doctor and the Institution heavily.”
The Big Boys Say...
A spokesperson for a multispeciality hospital says, “Clinics complement us. We can handle everything; but would someone stand in line for just a cough and cold ailment? Obviously, he’ll call his local doctor and ask for advice.” CEO and co-founder of Eye Q Super-Specialty Hospital, Rajat Goel, says, “A hospital is capable of all kinds of medical intervention. A clinic is more suited for specific procedures. In a way, it is ‘different facilities for different needs’.” u