Is it fair to fix charges of healthcare services?

After the Supreme Court's sharp comments regarding the determination of medical service prices, there is a mixed feeling of uncertainty, frustration, and disappointment among doctors and hospital administrators. There is now a debate in the country about whether the government or any agency can really determine the value of healthcare services.Following the Supreme Court's comments, if the government attempts to fix the fees for healthcare services, it is essential to consider some important facts beforehand.

In fact, there are several factors that affect the quality of any healthcare service and ultimately its cost:

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Location of the hospital:

   It's natural for hospitals located in metropolitan or tier-one cities to have higher service charges compared to those in smaller towns because the establishment and operation costs of an HCF will differ in both places.

Cost of services in hospitals within the same city:

   This would also differ due to variations in the establishment and operational costs of different hospitals. This can be understood in the same way as the charges of three-star or five-star hotels in the same city vary.

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Cost of treatment for patients receiving treatment in the same hospital:

   This could also vary due to various reasons such as:

   - Qualification of the treating physician

   - Experience of the treating physician

   - Level of services chosen by the patient, such as general ward or private room.

Cost of treatment for patients receiving treatment from the same doctor for the same illness in the same hospital:

   This cost could also vary due to factors like:

   - Quality and price difference of medicines and implants used. For example, the cost of a lens used in cataract surgery, as mentioned by the Hon'ble Supreme Court, can range from ₹500 to over ₹1 lakh.

   - There is significant variation in the cost of almost all implants.

Despite having the same illness and using the same medicines and implants, the cost of treatment can still vary due to:

   A. Any unforeseen complications during treatment

   B. Stage of the patient's illness

   C. Presence of comorbidities (other illnesses) in the patient

   D. Level of awareness about the illness in the patient

   E. Precautions taken by the patient and family during treatment

   F. Patient's compliance with treatment.

Considering these points, it is indeed noble to consider determining the cost of treatment by the Hon'ble Supreme Court, for which the Supreme Court should be highly praised. However, it is hoped that whatever committee determines the fees for services under the guidance of the Supreme Court will consider all the above points. Many doctors also hope that just as the Supreme Court has talked about determining the value of healthcare services, the value of fees charged by lawyers and legal firms in courts should also be determined because the right to justice is as important as the right to health. The situation is so dire that many times crowdfunding is required for an ordinary person to fight for justice in the Supreme Court.

(Dr Raj Shekhar Yadav is a senior physician,blogger and social media influencer.He tweets @citybrr.Views are personal)