User fee in BMCRI-affiliated hospitals revised upwards by 20%

Vani Vilas Hospital in Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit: file photo

Patients visiting the State-run Victoria, Minto, Vani Vilas, PMSSY Super Speciality and Trauma and Emergency Care hospitals affiliated to Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) are now paying higher user fees for treatment, surgeries, blood tests, scans and other medical services. The user fees in these hospitals have been revised upwards by 20% from November 1.

A decision to this effect was taken following a meeting held on May 23 this year. According to a circular issued by BMCRI Dean and Director Ramesh Krishna K, the heads of these five hospitals have been directed to collect the revised user fee.

For other investigations

As per the list of revised user charges for various services, while a 20% increase is for patients directly visiting the hospitals, those referred from outside for CT scans and MRI will be charged ₹ 1,000 over and above the increased fee.

“Charges for any other investigations for outside referred patients are to be collected in consultation with the head of the department and Professor in charge of the unit. That apart, Rs 820 will be collected as contrast charges for the scans. While imaging services – CT, MRI, ultrasound and X-ray – are completely free for BPL card holders in national institutions such as AIIMS, New Delhi and PGIMER, Chandigarh, BMCRI is collecting 50%. Hence, revised average rates have been proposed,” stated the circular that has enclosed a 112-page list of all procedures, services with existing charges and revised rates.

Victoria Hospital Medical Superintendent Deepak S. said the rates had not been revised for over eight years. “We have increased the rates marginally. Most of the patients who come to our hospitals are BPL patients, and services are almost free for them,” he said.

Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil said no government order had been issued directing the hospitals to increase the charges. “The Arogya Raksha Samithis of the respective hospitals would have taken a call. The hospital heads had raised the issue during a review meeting and we had asked them to revise marginally in the range of 5% to 10%,” he said.

To be studied

He said he would study the revised rates, and if the increase is very high, it will be reduced. Meanwhile, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said a marginal revision of user charges is required to be done periodically as the user fee is utilised for the development of the hospitals. “A marginal revision will not burden the patients. We are also contemplating revising user fees in hospitals run by the Health Department,” he said.