personal finance

In parched Chennai, hospitals hike charges


CHENNAI: The severe water crisis in Tamil Nadu’s capital has acquired alarming proportions, not sparing even hospitals. The dwindling supply, with borewells running dry, has sent room rents, cost of procedures like dialysis and consultation in most neighbourhood hospitals and nursing homes soaring.

Room rents in some of Chennai’s hospitals had increased by up to Rs 350 a day in mid-May itself, and that was a month ago. Most big corporate hospitals claim that they have been able to absorb the cost, but that’s only for now. On an average, a hospital with 30 beds is spending Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 more a day. “That would mean up to Rs 4.5 lakh a month. It is impossible for small hospitals to absorb that. We’ll have to pass it on to patients,” said former IMA state chief Dr T N Ravishankar.

Not making matters any easier are private water tankers, which, too, have doubled the cost of the water they supply to private hospitals.

The 200-bed Voluntary Health Services in Taramani, a Chennai suburb, said its monthly water bill has shot up by Rs 2 lakh. He said the spiralling tanker-water prices have hit bigger hospitals as well. “The quality of water has also deteriorated. The colour is brown,” he added.

At medical college hospitals, too, deans have been diverting almost entire contingency funds for water tankers.





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