Fortis Med Center in Chandigarh, a renowned healthcare facility in northern India, has come under scrutiny for allegedly exploiting patients through deceptive practices and unethical pricing.
Despite India’s growing medical infrastructure, people in regions like Jammu & Kashmir, which are often dependent on private healthcare providers, concerns over exploitation of patients have surfaced.
Patients from the Valley, in particular, are lured to Chandigarh’s reputed hospitals with promises of discounted medical services, only to be hit with inflated treatment costs and fraudulent practices once they arrive.
Chandigarh’s medical facilities are considered among the best in northern India, with patients from far-flung regions traveling to the city for quality healthcare. However, some prominent hospitals, including Fortis, have come under fire for using underhanded tactics to extract money from vulnerable patients.
For example, a patient from Kashmir who had suffered fractures in his leg and foot. After being discharged from a hospital in Barzulla, he sought further treatment at Fortis Medi Center in Chandigarh.
After a consultation with Dr. Mandeep Dhillon, the hospital administration quoted an exorbitant cost of Rs. 4.5 lakh for surgery and follow-up treatment. Given his financial limitations, the patient expressed his inability to pay such a large amount and decided to return home.
However, just the following day, the hospital offered a Rs. 1 lakh discount, reducing the cost to Rs. 3.5 lakh. When the patient still refused to proceed with the treatment, the hospital staff offered yet another discount of Rs. 1 lakh, bringing the cost down further. The staff continued to pressure the patient to undergo treatment at the hospital, despite his reluctance.
The patient and his relatives were left shocked by the dramatic shift in pricing and the constant pressure tactics. Initially, they had been told that the surgery would cost Rs. 4.5 lakh, but now the hospital was offering substantial discounts, almost as if they were negotiating a bargain. This led to widespread disappointment and a growing sense that the entire process was one of deliberate deception.
One of the relatives commented, “If the hospital initially asked for Ra. 4.5 lakh, why are they now asking for just Rs. 2 lakh? This clearly shows that the pricing was inflated from the start. It is a clear case of exploitation, using the vulnerability of patients to make a profit."
The situation has raised serious concerns about the ethical practices in the medical sector, especially in private hospitals where profit often seems to take precedence over patient care. The incident has led to calls for a more transparent and regulated healthcare system, with patients, especially those from distant regions like Kashmir, warned to be vigilant about the true cost of treatment.
Local residents and patients from Kashmir traveling to Fortis should now be cautious and ensure that the treatment costs they are quoted are genuine and not artificially inflated. There is also growing demand for the government to step in and enforce clear policies to protect citizens from exploitation in the name of medical care.
As the debate over healthcare ethics continues, it remains crucial for both the government and patients to be aware of such practices and take necessary steps to prevent the abuse of the medical system for financial gain.
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