Nagpur: All ethical values in medical profession are lost these days and this noble service has been made commercial just to mint money. Such a deplorable observation gets repeated here in the city when a team of Dr Vikram Shah of Shalby Hospital, Ahmedabad, a branded name for knee replacement, lands in the city in the name of free medical check up, and advises 25-30 patients for surgery, without even checking them up. It is not less than a racket by medical practitioners, who, under their branded popularity, have spread their network across the country. All those who are affluent are falling prey to them, unfortunately and their number in the city is 25-30 in the recently experienced case.
According to sources, knee-replacement expert Dr Vikram Shah (Shalby Hospital, Ahmedabad) with his 5-member team was invited to the city about 2-3 days ago, through a Sitabuldi-based well off businessman, for treatment of knee and hip. The team organized a medical camp at Agrasen Bhavan premises, Ravinagar Chowk, here in the city, claiming it free-of-charge, and the camp was special for the members of Agrawal community. As many as 150 patients of the community appeared for check up in the camp.
The team examined the old case-papers of patients and they were sent for X-ray report to the already decided X-ray centre where they were required to pay higher charges for X-ray, costlier by Rs 100-150. They returned with their X-ray and showed it to the team of experts, and all them were advised surgery (operation), and treatment package told to each patient was Rs 1.70 lakh (excluding the individual expenses on 6-day stay and family members’ coming and going, etc). It was also told that those who wanted to avail themselves of the package of treatment would be treated at a 250-bed hospital at Jabalpur (MP). Finally, 25-30 patients were trapped for knee replacement mission.
It is noteworthy that the team did not treat any patient in the camp here so organized by Dr Vikram Shah nor was any body provided refreshment or tea, etc, for their long wait in the camp. It was the host, Agrasen Mandal, which bore all expenditure of the medical team and camp in the interest of patients. When the Mandal office-bearer wanted to know from Dr Shah whether his camp would provide either free or minimum cost treatment to one or two poor patients, the reply he got was shocking, “Only 10% exemption.”
A doctor from the team informed the Agrasen Mandal, for replacement of knee in India Johnson replacement kit is used while Zimmer kit is used abroad. In fact the Zimmer replacement kit is used in India as well. The Zimmer kit has all sizes while Johnson kit has fixed size, but adjustable. Another doctor informed the Mandal, they have their factory (Dr Vikram Shah’s) in Ahmedabad for replacement, and at a time 10 replacements are done there.
The irony of the fact is why so reputed knee-replacement expert (Dr Vikram Shah), who claims to possess a well equipped replacement centre at his home town, should die for minting money outside, here Nagpur, which has its own medical hub. Apart from this, why the affluent citizens should crave for costly treatment at the hands of outsiders, just because of their fad for ‘branded’ name. The patients forget that the human body inevitably undergoes so certain changes by age, and one cannot keep it normal for ever, despite all efforts made.
