Highlights:
- Decade old red signal ignored: post-COVID online pharma sales pick up speed
- Private hospitals in cities resort to unethical means to sustain
- Both medical and public health care are being handed over to private players under the garb of public-private partnerships. The Maharashtra Government leads the way by signing an MOU with the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI)
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Website: https://uho.org.in
Professor Amitav Banerjee, Chairperson of UHO, discusses pressing health issues in the latest newsletter, emphasizing a troubling trend towards privatization of medical care in India. This week’s highlights bring attention to several significant worries concerning public health treatments and infrastructure shortcomings, suggesting a forthcoming shift of healthcare responsibilities from governmental bodies to private entities.
Rise of Online Pharmaceuticals:
Online pharmaceuticals have definitely benefited from the pandemic during the past two years, and this situation certainly encouraged the public to change their habits towards ordering medications online. This, however, comes with a dark side in the form of counterfeit medicines being unleashed at an unprecedented scale.
The study shows that lack of enforcement by the authorities and no regulation issues remain after ten years, though there have been some warnings. Thus, safety measures for online shopping include amongst others checking if the pharmacy is authentic, as well as being extremely careful if prices are too low.
Malpractice in Private Healthcare:
Some dreadful events of malpractice have recently come to light; the newborn case in the Jharkhand case is the most prominent Welsh one where the family, after the death of the baby, was punished and falsely accused of improper treatment, this was a result of a ventilator being used to keep the child going for over four days. This case is a good example of private healthcare ethical violations, where patients continue to be charged excessive fees and, in return, get either no care at all or deceptive care. To highlight this case further, questions arise about the fair reason for the patients being sent from the public hospitals, which are poorly resourced, to private facilities, where they might be exploited.
Governmental Shift Towards Privatization:
The Maharashtra government’s recent deals with such partners as the Public Health Foundation of India and private hospitals show the direction where public health policymaking is heading and this is a bad sign. They are going further and further away from governing agencies towards private sector involvement, hence the development of new public health strategies. Those who give such warnings are afraid of the potential influence of Gates Foundation and other similar groups. They feel that the agenda of these players can be imposed upon the health policy and if this ends up being the case, the relationship between health policy and the public will be significantly affected.
Proliferation of Fake Medicines and Online Pharma Trading:
The pandemic-driven surge in online medicine ordering has led to an alarming rise in the sale of fake or spurious pharmaceutical products. Citing research published a decade ago that warned of this exact danger and called for stringent regulation, Professor Banerjee noted the government’s failure to act. Instead, initiatives like the Arogya Setu Mitra portal further facilitated online medicine procurement without adequate quality control.
Professor Banerjee warned that “convenience is attractive but the danger of fake medicines is real and could be fatal”. “Fake antibiotics won’t just fail to cure but also make the problem of antibiotic resistance worse which is a major safety hazard for the whole society,” he added. “We strongly call on consumers to be very careful: check licenses, don’t be overconfident with extremely cheap prices, and go through the process of packaging, holograms, and expiry dates thoroughly,” they said.
Egregious Malpractices in Private Hospitals:
Professor Banerjee highlighted disturbing incidents of unethical practices within the private hospital sector. A recent case from Jharkhand revealed a newborn baby being kept on a ventilator for four days after death to extract money from grieving parents. Disturbingly, the baby had been referred from a government hospital, raising questions about the rationale behind such referrals when public facilities should be equipped. This follows a previous UHO expose on the misuse of the Ayushman Bharat (PMJAY) health insurance scheme, where unnecessary angioplasties were performed in a private hospital in Ahmedabad, leading to patient deaths.
“While healthcare is a noble profession, the alarming rise of malpractices for financial gain is a blight on the system,” Professor Banerjee asserted. “Exploiting vulnerable patients, even after their death, is unconscionable. The nexus between government and private hospitals in patient referrals also needs urgent scrutiny.”
Outsourcing Public Health Policy to Private Entities:
The latest concern revolves around the Maharashtra government’s recent Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with private organizations like the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) and IMAST (a private hospital chain) for public health policy formulation and training.
UHO expressed strong reservations, emphasizing that public health policy must remain firmly in the hands of the government, supported by civic society and independent, non-governmental experts who are free from vested interests. Professor Banerjee pointed out that PHFI, established under a public-private partnership, has significant influence from entities like the Gates Foundation.
“Our public health policy must remain squarely in the hands of the government and the people, not be dictated by private organizations or foreign influences that may have their own interests at heart,” said Professor Banerjee. “India has a vast pool of its own experts; there is no justification for outsourcing our national health strategy, which inherently risks prioritizing private profits over collective well-being.”
Appalling Medical Fraud Unveiled in Ranchi: Hospital Accused of Keeping Deceased Newborn on Ventilator for Days, Issuing Lakhs in Bills
A deeply disturbing case of alleged medical fraud and severe ethical violations has emerged in Ranchi, Jharkhand, where Little Heart Hospital, located in the Ranchi district, stands accused of keeping a newborn baby on a ventilator for four days after its death, while continuously charging the grieving family exorbitant amounts. The shocking incident, confirmed by a post-mortem examination, has sparked widespread outrage and ignited urgent calls for a comprehensive investigation and stringent action against those responsible.
The tragic sequence of events began on July 4th when Mukesh Singh’s newborn child, born at Ranchi Sadar Hospital, a government facility, was referred to Little Heart Hospital for treatment of an infection. Despite the child being admitted, the parents were allegedly denied access to their baby for an astonishing 15 days, during which time the hospital staff made daily demands for medicines and blood, and reportedly threatened the parents when they insisted on seeing their child.
On July 30th, the hospital management informed the parents that the child needed to be referred elsewhere and made them sign documents, still refusing access to the baby. It was only after relentless insistence from the family that the hospital finally handed over the child’s body. Relatives immediately suspected foul play, asserting that the child appeared to have died four or five days prior.
Upon receiving the deceased child, the distraught father, Mukesh Singh, promptly filed an FIR (First Information Report) with the police. Acting swiftly on the complaint, the police seized the newborn’s body from Little Heart Hospital and sent it for an urgent post-mortem examination at the Ranchi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), a government hospital in Ranchi.
The post-mortem report delivered a horrifying confirmation: the doctor conducting the examination stated that the newborn was indeed deceased days prior, and its body was in an advanced state of decomposition, emitting a strong odor. This conclusively proved that the hospital had deliberately kept a dead child on a ventilator, exploiting the family’s hope and grief to generate a bill amounting to “lakhs of rupees” for non-existent treatment.
Local residents have voiced concerns that this is not an isolated incident, alleging that Little Heart Hospital has a history of similarly unethical practices, routinely keeping deceased patients on ventilators or in ICUs for several days to inflate bills.
This incident also brings to light alarming questions about referral practices from government hospitals. Ranchi Sadar Hospital, a large government facility with over 600 beds and affiliated with Ranchi University, referred the newborn to a private hospital. Concerned citizens question the necessity of such a referral, especially if the intent was to secure free treatment at a public institution. There are suspicions of “cut practice” where government hospital doctors may refer patients to private facilities for commissions.
“This is not just medical negligence; it is a heinous act of fraud and a profound betrayal of trust,” stated a spokesperson for concerned citizens and healthcare advocates. “The medical profession is considered noble, but such actions erode public faith completely. How can common citizens seek treatment when they fear being exploited even after death?”
Demands for Justice and Systemic Reform:
- Thorough Investigation: We demand a comprehensive and impartial investigation into Little Heart Hospital, including all involved doctors (specifically named Dr. Ashutosh and Dr. Satyajit in initial reports) and management. Given the gravity and potential systemic nature, a CBI inquiry is strongly recommended.
- Strict Legal Action: All individuals found guilty of this barbaric act must face severe legal consequences and exemplary punishment to deter future occurrences.
- Regulatory Oversight: Urgent and robust regulatory oversight mechanisms must be implemented for private healthcare facilities to prevent such unethical billing and fraudulent practices.
- Referral Practice Review: A complete review of referral protocols from government hospitals to private institutions is necessary to eliminate any potential for “cut practice” and ensure patients receive appropriate, affordable care.
- Transparency and Accountability: The healthcare system must be made more transparent and accountable to its patients.
This distressing incident underscores the critical need for immediate reforms in Jharkhand’s healthcare system to protect vulnerable patients and restore integrity to the medical profession.
Public Health Advocates Sound Alarm Over Maharashtra Government’s MOUs Signaling Privatization of Health Policy
Concerned citizens and public health advocates today voiced grave alarm over recent Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) signed by the Maharashtra government, which they contend represent a dangerous step towards privatizing the state’s public health policy-making, potentially compromising the health and well-being of millions.
The Maharashtra government has reportedly signed MOUs with the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) and the Royal College of Surgeons UK. While presented as partnerships, critics argue these agreements will grant undue influence to private and foreign entities in shaping public health policy, a domain traditionally and rightfully reserved for the government.
“This is not merely about private sector involvement in services; it’s about surrendering the very blueprint of our nation’s health to entities driven by profit, not public welfare,” stated a spokesperson for the Concerned Citizens and Public Health Advocates. “The Chief Minister himself acknowledged that these agreements would impact policy-making, which is precisely our gravest concern.”
The Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), though often perceived as a public body, is described as a public-private partnership with significant influence from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Critics highlight a potential conflict of interest, arguing that policies formulated under such influence may prioritize private interests over the equitable health needs of the general population. Similarly, the Royal College of Surgeons UK is a completely private, foreign entity.
“Health and education are the fundamental pillars of any nation’s progress and must remain firmly in the hands of the government, guided by the needs of its people,” the spokesperson added. “Allowing private players, especially those with inherent conflicts of interest and a ‘high-tech’ perspective ill-suited to our ground realities, to dictate our health policies is a perilous path. We have already witnessed the exploitation of the poor by private healthcare, with exorbitant billing and tragic outcomes.”
Advocates argue that a country aspiring to be a superpower must retain sovereign control over its core policy-making, particularly in critical sectors like health. They question why a body influenced by foreign foundations or private UK entities should be allowed to shape public health rules and regulations in India, when Indian entities are highly unlikely to be granted similar access to policy-making in nations like the USA or UK.
The group stressed that while private sector involvement in training and academic activities might be considered, the core responsibility of framing health laws, policies, and rules must remain with the government, in consultation with non-governmental experts who have no conflict of interest, civic society, and grassroots institutions like Panchayat Raj.
“This move is deeply concerning and appears to be driven by motivations beyond public welfare, possibly linked to future electoral bond contributions,” the spokesperson concluded. “We urge the Maharashtra government to immediately reconsider these MOUs, prioritize public health over private interests, and ensure that all health policy decisions are made transparently, democratically, and for the benefit of all citizens. This must become a central issue for public debate and accountability.”
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