Publication | Crisis in doctor-patient relationship

Making sense of the trust deficit between doctors and patients

In December, 2017, I wrote an editorial for Medical Dialogues imploring on reasons for trust deficit and what can be done to bring the trust between doctors and patients back. The four broad themes include:

1. Time Value: Utilising the small amount of time available for consultation

2. Encouraging transparency

3. Emphasis on prevention

4. Encouraging follow up

You can read the whole piece here.

Hospitals allegedly confine non-paying patients, Bombay HC to rescue

The curious case of confining hospital patients:

The Bombay High Court would be answering whether confining a patient for non-payment of bills by hospitals would amount to illegal detention and criminal offence in a related case, reported DNA. The question arose in two different petitions againstPrachin Healthcare Multi-specialty Hospital at Panvel, which allegedly wouldn't discharge an injured bus driver and Seven Hills Hospital in Marol  which allegedly refused to discharge a patient for not paying disputed dues of Rs1.80 lakh. Both hospitals have refuted the allegations.The court has also asked the Association of Hospitals to file their reply in this regard.

According to the report, the court observed that the hospitals cannot survive if their bills are not paid but also raised a question to them regarding why they are not opting for legal remedies available to them. 

While the Medical Council of Maharashtra urged the court that some authority to look into non payment of bills has to be created, the association of hospitals said that they do not agree with confining patients for non payment of bills. 

The matter has now been adjourned to April 13 and the court has asked the Association of Hospitals to clear its stand on illegally confining patients in hospitals for non-payment of bills.