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I normally don’t post personal stuff on my blog but since I am not on Facebook anymore, wanted to post this here for the benefit of friends and their friends and pretty much everyone else.

My mother, T M Leela was admitted to Yashomati Hospitals (UHID – 20341) on 18.02.2014 with a very low sodium level we detected in a another hospital (Sita Bhateja – Discharged her from there because of my displeasure with the administration) that morning. The physician doctor, Dr Ramya Raghavan admitted her to MICU immediately and suggested we need to get her sodium level back to normal.

My mother was better next morning and we discharged her on 19.02.2014. To my surprise, a lot of “routine tests” were conducted without really informing us including things like Liver Function Test and TSH. Whether routine or not, shouldn’t they be informing us before rather than give us a  bill of around Rs. 19,000 for one night in the ICU? (The cost per night at their ICU is Rs. 6900). I am mentioning this point because those tests were conducted recently and I am certain something like TSH or LFT needn’t be repeated this quickly. We had just coughed up Rs. 25,000 at Sita Bhateja two days back. Anyway, thats the doctor’s call although I find it very fishy. My only argument here is informing us before hand.

I wouldn’t be surprised if I go there with muscle sprain, they take me to the ICU and put a pacemaker to the heart saying “we felt its better to do that also now as a routine process.” And proudly hand over bill of few lakhs.

But the biggest blunder came next. For the supposed TSH test conducted, they asked us to collect the report the next day. So, I went on 20.02.2014 around 12:45 PM and collected the report. Dr. Ramya had asked me to tell her the TSH value once I received the report. It was 5.66. After informing this to Dr Ramya over a call, she asked me to increase her eltroxin tablet from 25 mcg to 37.5 mcg, which we followed from 21.02.

I wanted to document every detail of my mother’s condition to make it easy for us to refer to the values as she’s suffering from depression and has other ailments (BP, Sugar, Thyroid and Cholesterol) for which she’s taking medicines. Strangely, I found her T3, T4 and TSH values identical (to the decimal points) to that of a test done on 13.08.2013 at the same hospital. After looking at both of those reports closely, I realised the new report that they gave me on 20.02.2014 was the same as 13.08.2013.

Yesterday (21.02), upon bringing this to the notice of the lab assistant, Ashwini, she said she never received the blood sample from the ICU.

Hence, not only have they not done the test, they have actually collected money for it and to top it all, gave me a report done six months ago. 

Had I not spotted the error, my mother would’ve continued the higher dosage till either she had more complications or till the next TSH test. Any minor variation in dosage or make of any medicine is having adverse effect on her because of her other ailments.

My entire family goes to Yashomati. I have recommended so many friends too. Tell me one good reason why I shouldn’t do exactly the opposite now? Hence, this post.

Saurabh, the COO of Yashomati did listen to me patiently and refunded the Rs. 900 for the TSH test and told me to send him a detailed mail to take action against whoever is responsible. He has been very co-operative in person and I give him credit for that. I have sent him the detailed mail explaining this and am awaiting a reply.

Initially I thought I will wait for his response before deciding to post this. But then again, what difference does that make? Will that undo the error? Will that fix what this could’ve potentially done to my mother? I think everyone should know such horrid errors takes place and they risk the lives of many.

I don’t feel good sharing my family’s health details in public, but this just had to be done. To save people who read this from going to such irresponsible hospitals.

I intend to update this once I hear from them.

Until then, take care. No, really.

And do share this on your social networks.

Sandeep Nanu.


 

Update: 25.02.2014 – 1400 hrs.

Here’s the update from the COO and their “Manager-Quality assurance and strategic planning”. Don’t really buy their version. Also, we got my mother’s TSH checked at Thyrocare today and it was 1.68. Not even close to the 3.53 that they are claiming done within less than a week. If every hospital blames the other for their reports being wrong, then god save us. Justified or not, these are the facts for any of you reading this. Will leave it for your judgement.

Dear Sandeep,
As promised earlier, I have taken appropriate action for the same so that such mistakes will never happen in our system again. I again thank you very much for your kind cooperation.

Warm Regards,
Sourabh S Banerjee,
Chief Operating Officer
Yashomati Hospitals

Dear Mr. Sourabh

Thank you for updating us about this issue.

I feel very sorry for all the inconvenience which is caused to the patient.

I did a detailed enquiry about this issue.

– It was a lack of coordination among our staff and the system failure.

– Here the blood sample was given from casualty but that time TSH was not raised. When patient went to ICU, doctor had asked for TSH for the sample which was already sent from casualty. So ICU staff raised add on request for the TSH, which lab technician had missed to do because test raised in casualty for that sample didn’t have TSH. Current IT system requires staff to raise two request one goes for billing and other goes for laboratory. Some times staff may forget to enter any one of them. Lab technician receives a lot of add on request from wards on daily basis and some time these add on will be cancelled for various reasons so lab technician depends on oral confirmation by ward staff over telephone, in this case they may have forgotten. This is not the mistake proof system, we will not face the same problem in the new WIPRO software what we are installing.

– Technician should have checked the date of report before giving it to patient attenders and IP report should not be directly given to patient instead they should go back to the floor where patient was admitted and staff nurse should give written request to lab for pending report mentioning date of admission and lab request number.

– Now the TSH has been repated and the report is 3.53

– We have taken corrective action against all the staffs involved. And also we have strengthened the system to make sure that this should not be repeated to any one in future.

– Regarding unnecessary investigation what claimed by patient attenders, I spoke with ICU doctors where all these investigations were done in outside laboratory and doctor had doubt on outside report. Because outside lab report showed decreased sodium but in our laboratory it was normal, so they have repeated all those investigation to make sure that patient should be treated well with correct report.

Regards
Dr. Umesh shetty
Manager-Quality assurance and strategic planning
Yashomati Hospital

 

Nanu

About Nanu

Communication specialist, wannabe stand-up comedian, sports maniac, music freak, gadget aficionado, movie enthusiast, biriyani addict (If it wasn’t for this 5 letter domain, mostly would've gone with deathbybiriyani.com).

17 Comments

  • sandeepnanu says:

    Also, their front-end staff loves to hold you to a ransom in the name of advance amount when a patient needs to be taken to the ICU. I paid Rs. 8000 (which I had at that point and said will pay the balance the next day). But the staff were insisting on Rs.25000. I felt like an idiot reasoning with them for 15 to 20 mins, while my mother was waiting in emergency to be taken to the ICU. I am the same guy who swiped around Rs.3,00,000 at their hospital for my father in law’s two angioplasty two years ago. I was not held at gun-point then. Paid only when discharging. Wondering what happened to these guys.

  • Arun Kumar says:

    This is really shocking & dangerous precedence.
    Chances of the going unnoticed is high…as how many times do we actually compare old reports.
    This cannot be negligence. But more of money spinning tactic …
    These guys cannot make money at the cost of somebody’s health.

    • sandeepnanu says:

      Yes Arun. It’s a pity that nothing really gets done for such lapses. The fundamental problem is that we have begun to accept mediocrity as a norm of life. This applies to pretty much everything, not just healthcare.

  • Abhishek Mishra says:

    Lodge a complaint of fraud and go to consumer court as well

    • sandeepnanu says:

      Been contemplating Abshishek. I’d also wait for them to respond before that. Definitely want to hear their version at least.

  • Rubina says:

    Thank you for this. I am now going ot study medical reports more carefully. this is completely unacceptable.

    • sandeepnanu says:

      Yes Rubina. Not only that, please also question every single detail. In terms of why certain tests are conducted, what do they do, what medicines are prescribed, what are its side-effects and so on.
      I know google can throw up some irrelevant results, but checking the details of the prescribed medicine online is not a bad idea either. I am in no way blaming the doctors here. In fact all my life barring a few handful of incidents I have had great respect for doctors. Its just that healthcare as a whole has changed over the years and there is lack of transparency. Unfortunately, some of us end up paying up dearly sometimes.
      And like I said in my previous comments, mediocrity is a norm of life today.

  • Pearl says:

    Now I am very much worried. I was vouching on this hospital as I am living with my aged Mom and I am a single parent now. The proximity made me think I can visit the hospital during any emergency. It is scary to read your post. Thanks for writing to caution others.

    • sandeepnanu says:

      We go there for the proximity too. In fact have met some really good doctors there. Just be aware of such incidents should you go to this place.

  • brian says:

    Dude, every hospital today has a target to meet. So the moment they see an opportunity, they push you into ICU or prescribe unnecessary tests.
    Frankly, I don’t know which hospital is safe anymore.. We’ve been taken on a long ride by Manipal when we lost dad but that’s a whole new story..

  • Sudha says:

    I always get a feeling that Yashomati is “under construction”. Very shabby, always painting work/repair work going on inside the hospital. Even i was thinking probably its a good option ONLY for emergency. I guess now we have to wait for Columbia Asia (opp to Forum value mall) I guess that will come up in a few months

    • sandeepnanu says:

      Agree. But, as far as healthcare is concerned, this hospital or any other, just be extremely careful with all the details. You can never be over cautious and you never know who can slip up.

  • Ankur says:

    Guys do check http://www.medypal.com, these guys are trying to address the pricing issues. you can compare the prices of different hospitals

  • TRIPTI says:

    hI,
    i just wanted to confirm whether ypu faced the same neglience and money-acquiring tendency at apollo too (with Dr Ramya Rahavan)?
    I m asking because I was thinking to consult her , So if you could help .
    Thanks

    • Nanu says:

      Hi,
      No I haven’t. In fact, I have consulted with Dr Ramya at Fortis in the past and have had a good experience.

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