CPM Demands Immediate Action Against Exploitative Practices in Private Labs and Hospitals

Gadwal : The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) has demanded strict action against private diagnostic labs and doctors who are exploiting patients under the guise of medical tests. CPM District Committee Member, Uppair Narasimha, submitted a memorandum to the Additional Collector at the District Collector's office on Saturday, calling for the cancellation of licenses of these labs and actions against the doctors involved.

Narasimha highlighted that poor sanitation and the rise in mosquito-borne diseases are forcing people into hospitals, where they are further exploited by private labs. The CPM team visited several prominent hospitals and labs, including Vennela, Bindu, Sagar, Aditya, Raghavendra, Sai Krupa, Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy, Penchalayya, Sravanti, Central, SS, Nidhi, Vijay Apple, YUVI, and SMN Labs. After speaking with patients, several issues were brought to their attention.

He pointed out that private labs, often without referrals from doctors, are conducting tests directly when patients approach them. Narasimha alleged that in many labs, unregistered technicians or trainees are conducting tests, which compromises the quality and reliability of the results. He also noted that labs like YUVI are not providing test kits to patients after diagnostic tests, only issuing reports, which raises questions about transparency.

Narasimha criticized doctors for directly ordering expensive tests like dengue tests without first conducting preliminary tests like ELISA, accusing them of profiting by ordering unnecessary tests. He called on district medical authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into these practices.

He also demanded that every lab display a price list for all tests, as most labs are not adhering to this requirement. Moreover, he criticized labs for not issuing proper bills to patients, particularly those from rural areas and illiterate patients, who are often given only the test reports.

Narasimha further criticized the exorbitant fees charged for dengue test kits, which cost only ₹150-₹200, but are being billed at ₹1200-₹1500 by private labs. He urged district medical authorities to investigate the capabilities of diagnostic machines in these labs and to ensure that prices are based on the machine's proficiency, not arbitrary fees.

Additionally, Narasimha pointed out that diagnostic reports should be signed by an MD pathologist, but this is often not happening, with lab technicians signing reports instead. He questioned why only 132 labs are registered with the District Medical and Health Department while numerous unregistered labs are operating unchecked in rural areas.

Narasimha accused some doctors of referring patients to specific diagnostic centers for their own profit, thus engaging in vertical exploitation of patients. He also highlighted that doctors are insisting that patients undergo tests only at the centers they refer to, rejecting results from other labs, which places undue financial burden on patients.

Lastly, Narasimha expressed concern that due to a lack of proper documentation and reporting, district health authorities are not aware of the actual number of dengue, malaria, and typhoid cases, which hampers the government's efforts to control these diseases.

CPM has demanded immediate action by district medical authorities, including inspections of private hospitals and labs, cancellation of licenses for unregistered labs, and the establishment of pricing guidelines based on the technical capability of diagnostic machines. If these demands are not met, CPM warned of large-scale protests on behalf of the public.

Labor leaders S. Raju, D. Shivakrishna, Veeresh, Anjaneyulu, Balaram, and Shiva participated in this program.