NEW DEHLI: Even as the US government is trying to bring down healthcare costs, hospitals in India are hopeful that their medical tourism industry will not be affected.
Many Indian hospitals have tied up with US corporates to treat their employees at affordable rates.
A Montreal, Quebec Canada may be well forced to shut down almost 25 per cent of its beds. In the past number of years, nearly half the doctors there — 25 of them– have resigned as a result of difficult working conditions, but only several have been hired as replacements.
“ Doctors are said to be working extra long shifts and overtime to provide medical care. “This cannot go on for long without a reduction of the standards of medical care and expertise†states the hospital administration. The hospital will need in order of 20 to 30 doctors to keep this regional center open. Doctors as if seems are in overall short supply.
The Montreal area hospital has had to reduce its level of service to the community at large. Service was reduced in order that the remaining doctors would only have to “work 12 hours or less a day, if possible,” he said.
The impact of the hospital’s decision to close the beds as of Friday is yet unclear.
“There might be longer waits in the emergency room for the patients, as well some of the ambulances may have to be rerouted to other hospitals which, for some patients, might mean being further away from home,” Keyway said.
But while some people at the hospital say it’s frustrating that the beds must close, they understand the reasoning.
“You can’t push staff beyond their reach either … if closing 30 beds allows them to give safe care, it’s too bad, but I guess that’s the way it has to be done,” one woman told CTV Montreal.
The beds might be closed at the hospital for as long as a year.
To many overseas , or even in Canada , the concept of not being provided with medical care – uninsured or not insured , or not being able to afford medical care may sound unlikely or even preposterous. Yet it is the sad fact for many in the United States. On top of that health care costs themselves in the U.S. compared to other places are relatively much higher. This is said to be the result of many causes – not one in themeselves. It costs money to run a business – especially in the states. Doctors not only have to be paid relatively large pay scales compared to the U.K., Europe and Canada and yet their costs are not small . Doctors have to pay substantial costs for health care insurance due to the plague or almost an industry of lawsuits against them. It is said that having 2 lawyers in a town increases the total costs of legal services and total services used immensely . Imagine a whole industry based on seeking lawsuits against medical practitioners. Its defensive medical system at its finest. On top of that add other costs – costs of modern equipment , running a hospital often with unionized staff . On more point is the cost of administration – both in the medical insurance plans and companies for administration and non payment and collection of bills to doctors.
What is interesting is that even though patients and health care consumers in other countries with socialized or public health care believe all in all that their healthcare is “free” even though they may be subsidizing it greatly with tax dollars either specifically collected for that purpose or from general tax accounts – from say gasoline taxes or income taxes.
Even though these citizens may be astounded that someone in America will gladly pay for medical treatment in their countries the actual consumer may see it as a tremendous bargain and value when all costs are counted up. Its similar to a Canadian citizen making a special trip to farwaway Texas or Florida to purchase a automobile to bring it back to Canada. Even though the car may be manufactured in Canada under free trade Nafta rules when it is all said and done they may be greatly ahead in the bargain – even when including travel as well as other costs. To boot they even get a sort of vacation away from home during the cold Canadian winter. The Canadian car industry may not like it , however you cannot “have your cake and it too”. If these local north american industries wish to benefit from the economies of scale that a free larger market provides for , they cannot pick and choose what rules and procedures they wish to follow and which they don’t. The only people in the equation who may be perplexed may well be the customs officers at the Canadian border who when finding that even when the rules are followed , they cannot stop the process. It is all perfectly legal and proper. If the customs agent was not suave enough to use those same rules – and even contacts to obtain a similar bargain that is their issue and not one of the thorough and determined modern consumer.
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