Even as patients and their kin continue to struggle, pvt hospitals insist that they have not received the notification ordering them to accept Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes from the sick; some even claim that the circular is a hoax
Abhijit Choksi with his mother, a cardiac patient
A day after the state issued a circular ordering all hospitals — private and public — to accept Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, many private facilities continued to turn patients away. Many of these claimed that they had not received the circular and thought it was a hoax.
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Citizens are bearing the brunt of this confusion, as they run from pillar to post for medical tests, treatment or just to buy medicines. Frustrated patients pointed out that even though the state health department promised to take action against such facilities, there is no helpline or system in place where they can lodge complaints.
WhatsApp circular
To save time, the state health department had issued the circular on its WhatsApp group, stating that till November 11 (today), no private hospital can refuse to take Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination notes. However, not all hospitals were on that group and when they received the circular from other sources, they assumed it was a hoax.
Also Read: Not(e) fair: Helpless patients forced to beg for medicines
A meeting was held to clear the confusion and some hospitals like Nanavati, Jupiter and Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani began to accept the higher denomination notes later in the day. On the other hand, this reporter found that certain hospitals like Wockhardt and Breach Candy Hospital were still not following the circular.
Patients suffer
Abhijit Choksi has been struggling to get medicines and blood tests for his 64-year-old mother, a cardiac patient and has already sustained three heart attacks. As his mother is a diabetic, she urgently needs to undergo a blood test that will cost Rs 6,000, and will also require medicines worth Rs 12,000. But since he didn’t have Rs 100 notes or a cash card, several hospitals and pharmacists turned them away.
“Despite the circular, many big private hospitals aren’t following the rules. Breach Candy Hospital told me to bring Rs 100 notes or visit another hospital. Banks only opened today and I didn’t have time to stand in queue and exchange the old currency. The government should start a helpline so we can complain directly about this harassment,” said Choksi.
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