Save Small Hospitals...

Small and mid-size hospitals dying slow death.

survival of these hospitals has a very important bearing on the Indian healthcare system, as these are catering to the 75% health care needs of the country.

who are the problem makers to small hospitals?

A.GOVERNMENT- with more  than 200 ACTS & burgeoning taxes

B. Politicians- by black mailing

C. Trade unions- by putting pressure through hospital employees.

D. Media- through character assassination.

E. Government health institutions -biased opinion builders.

F. Local mafias- black mailing and extortion.

G. Consumer court- un-necessary waste of time and sleep over the frivolous cases.

H.Insurance onslaught -Discrimination-Insurance companies  doesn’t empanel and doesn't cover cost of patients in medical set-ups with less than 20 beds.

j. Corporate attack…Big hospital chains rushed to small towns.Corporate Clinics and Primary day care center will survive better due to availability of Quality health care under one roof.

·    So, How to survive ?

• Get insurance Empanelment.-
• Make sure the Establishment cost is low & Quality High.
• Reduce the procedure cost and make profit through volume of work.
• Administrative costs to be contained to 3% of a patient's bill.
• Adopt IT in health care.
• Use telemedicine in radiology, intensive care unit .
• Transform from GP to FP(Family physician) with GMP.
• Cost Reduction by Proper choice of equipment to be purchased and proper material management and  Use less expensive drugs.
• Try to get accreditation from National accreditation board for hospitals or from IMA HBI.
• Search for Easy and cheap maintenance of medical equipment.
•  extend the life of CT, MRI, Cath Labs and all these expensive machines from the current seven years to 14 years. 

What IMA HBI Demands?

1  1.Single Window System at district level for tax payments  & registrations & permissions.

1.2. Amendments to insurance stipulations - empanelment to hospitals,clinics,day care centers irrespective of bed strength and floor-space index. Empanelment criteria should be categorized as rural,semi-urban and urban hospitals.give more weightage to quality of treatment but not to civil structure or bed strength.

1.3. Universal disease management protocols- stipulated and structured only by medical associations but not by Govt...

1.4. Usage of quality assured generic drugs & allowing doctors dispensing without any hassles and paper work.

1.5. Declaration of essential drug list.

1.6. Soft loans (4% interest).

7. Relaxing small hospitals from the ambit of CE act implications,ESI regulations and FIRE SAFETY regulations.

8. Recognizing  the small hospitals as professional service centers but not as commercial outfits.

9. Small hospitals need cheaper Medical devices'.

10. Duty on medical equipment and devices should be removed.

Health insurance is a matter of life and death, especially for the poor.

Empanelment is matter of life and death, especially for the small hospitals.