Private wards at AIIMS set to cost you more

Charges for its A-category room in private wards are set to double from ₹3,000 to ₹6,000 per day, whereas B-category rooms will see a jump of ₹1,000 from the existing rate of ₹2,000 per day.

This was recommended during a standing finance committee meeting held last month to revise room charges. AIIMS is known for the high standard of treatment and care it offers to patients, who include some of India’s poorest people.

A letter issued by Dr D.K. Sharma, medical superintendent of AIIMS-Delhi, on 13 April, read: “The recommendation/decision of 222nd standing finance committee (SFC) regarding the proposal for revision of room rent of private wards at AIIMS-New Delhi. Request for taking the undertaking from the patients being admitted to the private wards forthwith."

“The SFC considered and approved that the user charges of low-cost investigations/laboratory charges up to ₹500 per test may be abolished in line with the agenda. However, to recover forgone revenue on that count—the room rent and diet charges for the private ward may be simultaneously revised as follows," it stated.

“Room rent charges for private ward for class A category at the rate ₹6,000 per day. Room rent charges for private ward for class B category at the rate of ₹3,000 per day. Diet charges are optional at a rate of ₹300 per day. It was directed that the proposal may be submitted immediately on the file for the approval of the hon’ble president of the institute," stated the letter reviewed by Mint.

The letter has been issued to the officer in charge-private wards, AIIMS hospital; chief of Dr RP Centre-AIIMS; chief of Cardio-Thoracic Centre-AIIMS; chief of Neuroscience Centre; chief of JPNA Trauma Centre; and head of National Cancer Institute, Jhajjar.

When contacted, medical superintendent Sharma said, “It is a routine revision of charges of private ward facility at AIIMS. The room rent for private wards was last reviewed in 2011, and since then, the rates were not revised. It is a routine exercise to undertake such revision of private ward charges in view of inflation, and there is nothing so special about it."

The decision of the standing finance committee will be placed in the next governing body meeting for ratification.

“As per the decision of the SFC vide Supra, it is informed that the note for the file approval for hon’ble president-AIIMS has been submitted, and after requisite approval is received, notification regarding revised room rent and diet charges for private ward hospitalizations will be issued. It is imperative to mention that the revised changes will be implemented the next day of the date of issue of notification," read the letter.

“Accordingly, it is requested to kindly start taking an undertaking from every patient being allotted private ward from tomorrow onwards that he/she agrees to pay revised room rent/diet charges w.e.f date of notification as and when applicable," stated the letter.

In recent times, even as medicine faces a major challenge from the rising cost of medical treatment and the ongoing pandemic, AIIMS has continued to provide affordable and high-quality treatment to the poor, with three missions—medical education, research and high-standard patient care.

More than 20,000 patients visit the hospital every day from across the country. There is a waiting period of more than one-and-a-half months to get admission to a private ward at AIIMS.

Queries emailed to AIIMS and health ministry spokespeople remained unanswered till press time.

Some experts argued against the move to revise private ward charges. “It is good that AIIMS has abolished user charges of low-cost investigations or laboratory charges up to ₹500. Many patients will benefit from this. But revising the rates of the private ward should totally be opposed. AIIMS could have made a very marginal increase in the rates of a private ward, which should not affect the pocket of a poor patient. But it seems that AIIMS is going to charge for their private ward equivalent to the cost of private wards in corporate hospitals. How will poor patients afford this?" said a person familiar with the development, requesting anonymity.

“AIIMS is a government-run institution, and every year, AIIMS is not able to utilize the budget sanctioned by the government. This is high inefficiency of AIIMS administration in not being able to utilize the total funds allotted to them. This is placing the burden on poor patients. If there had been a shortage of funds, then it would have been understandable," said the person mentioned above, adding that the government should spend on healthcare rather than “taking from patients".

When contacted, Dr D.S. Rana, chairman of the board of directors at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, gave details of the charges of private wards: “A single room costs ₹10,000, while double-bedded room prices are ₹7,300. Further, the four bedded room costs ₹5,500," he said, adding that demand is the highest for the double-bedded rooms.