Cantt hospital: People complain about high medication costs
Patients visiting hospital have to purchase most medicines from private stores.
Patients visiting hospital have to purchase most medicines from private stores. PHOTO: FILE
RAWALPINDI:
Patients admitted in Rawalpindi Cantonment General Hospital have complained about high medication costs, lack of facilities and the ‘unpleasant’ behaviour of the hospital staff.
Sajid Shah, a resident of Gujar Khan, whose wife was admitted to the genealogy ward, said that he has been in the hospital for the last four days but there was no facility where he and other attendants could stay at night.
He also complained about the high cost of medical tests and the admission fee. He said that he deposited Rs15,000 as advance for a “minor” surgery on his wife.
“Had I known about the high costs, I would have never come to this hospital. My wife is still in a critical condition, showing no signs of improvement and making more holes in my pocket,” he said.
Muhammad Zafar had brought his one-year old son to the hospital for treatment. He said he has spent Rs20,000 in the past four days and had been sleeping on a greenbelt outside the hospital, hoping for his son’s early recovery.
Patients visiting the hospital have to purchase most of the medicines from private medical stores as the hospital did not provide medicines to them as is the norm in other government hospitals.
The X-ray machine of the hospital has been out of order for the last two weeks and patients were being referred to private laboratories for tests, it was learnt.
The Express Tribune learnt that the hospital charges Rs25 for outpatient visits, compared to other government hospitals where only Rs5 is charged for the same.
There is no echocardiogram facility at the hospital as well and patients were being referred to other government hospitals or private laboratories for tests. “We have been waiting to get my mother’s echo test for the last eight hours,” said Fazil Abbasi, a resident of Murree.
Medical Superintendent Dr Waqar could not be contacted despite repeated attempts on his cell phone.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 7th, 2013.
Patients admitted in Rawalpindi Cantonment General Hospital have complained about high medication costs, lack of facilities and the ‘unpleasant’ behaviour of the hospital staff.
Sajid Shah, a resident of Gujar Khan, whose wife was admitted to the genealogy ward, said that he has been in the hospital for the last four days but there was no facility where he and other attendants could stay at night.
He also complained about the high cost of medical tests and the admission fee. He said that he deposited Rs15,000 as advance for a “minor” surgery on his wife.
“Had I known about the high costs, I would have never come to this hospital. My wife is still in a critical condition, showing no signs of improvement and making more holes in my pocket,” he said.
Muhammad Zafar had brought his one-year old son to the hospital for treatment. He said he has spent Rs20,000 in the past four days and had been sleeping on a greenbelt outside the hospital, hoping for his son’s early recovery.
Patients visiting the hospital have to purchase most of the medicines from private medical stores as the hospital did not provide medicines to them as is the norm in other government hospitals.
The X-ray machine of the hospital has been out of order for the last two weeks and patients were being referred to private laboratories for tests, it was learnt.
The Express Tribune learnt that the hospital charges Rs25 for outpatient visits, compared to other government hospitals where only Rs5 is charged for the same.
There is no echocardiogram facility at the hospital as well and patients were being referred to other government hospitals or private laboratories for tests. “We have been waiting to get my mother’s echo test for the last eight hours,” said Fazil Abbasi, a resident of Murree.
Medical Superintendent Dr Waqar could not be contacted despite repeated attempts on his cell phone.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 7th, 2013.