________________
practices. I recently had a chat with some doctors, surgeons, and owners of nursing homes about the tricks of their trade. Here is what they shared: In general, kickbacks for lab tests happen about forty to sixty percent of the time. When a doctor (whether family doctor/ general physician, consultant, or surgeon) prescribes tests
-pathology, radiology, X-rays, MRIs etc. —the laboratory conducting those tests gives commissions. In South and Central Mumbai – commissions happen about forty percent of the time. In the suburbs north of Bandra—a whopping 60 percent! A single GP probably earns a lot more in this way than in the consulting fees that you pay. 30-40% for referring to consultants, specialists, and surgeons: When your friendly GP refers you to a specialist or surgeon, he gets 30-40%. 30-40% of total hospital charges: If the GP or consultant recommends hospitalization, he will receive a kickback from the private nursing home as a percentage of all charges including ICU, bed, nursing care, and surgery. “Sink tests.” Some tests prescribed by doctors are not needed. They are there to inflate bills and commissions. The pathology lab understands what is unnecessary. These are called “sink tests” and the blood, urine, and stool samples collected will be thrown away. Admitting the patient to “keep him under observation”: People go to cardiologists feeling unwell and anxious. Most of them aren't really having a heart attack, and cardiologists and family doctors are well aware of this. They admit such safe patients, put them on a saline drip with mild sedation, and send them home after three to four days after charging them a fat amount for ICU, bed charges, and visiting doctors fees. ICU minus intensive care: Nursing homes all over the suburbs are run by doctor couples or as one-man-shows. In such places, nurses and ward boys are tenth class drop-outs in
An Ahimsa Crisis: You Decide
223
