'Coronavirus is a rich man's disease'

A committee appointed by the state government has overridden the BMCs directives to mandatorily test cancer and kidney patients before their treatment The civic bodys move had put additional financial burden on the patients as several had to send their samples to private labs that charge Rs 4500 per COVID19 testWe had a lot of discussion on this matter We are of the view that it is impractical to compel dialysis and chemotherapy patients for a mandatory COVID19 test We have also considered the difficulties they have to face otherwise on a day to day basis Dr Sanjay Oak head of stateappointed task force committee for COVID19 patient management told middayDr Oak former dean of KEM Hospital added We are of the opinion that health of these patients should be closely monitored for any signs of fever cough or breathing distress and only if necessary they be advised to get themselves tested for the novel Coronavirus Dr Oak also agreed that as most dialysis patients are senior citizens mandatory testing would have been a burdenAs the announcement bringing relief to the patients came on Thursday evening those who had their sessions in the morning had to wait in long queues for the COVID19 testDialysis patient pays Rs 4500A senior citizen from Chembur on condition of anonymity told midday that she had her weekly dialysis session on Thursday but it was postponed by two days because she needed to undergo COVID19 test The technician informed that as per BMC directives it was mandatory to undergo COVID19 test at the centre which will be conducted by a private laboratoryThe patient in her sixties added that she waited for over three hours for the test They could have called us in small batches Ninety percent of the patients were senior citizens some handicapped too Many had to rush to nearby ATMs to withdraw money as it was cash payment only she addedThis is a huge financial burden dialysis cost R1200 per session new dialysis kit is needed after seveneight sessions that costs R900 and now COVID19 test costs R4500 It Coronavirus surely is a rich mans disease she addedLucky day for FernandesGodfrey Fernandes a 40yearold resident of Sahar village said his father Sunny Fernandes 67 has been on dialysis for the past three years and has three sessions a week However recently Sunny missed a session at Millat Nursing Home in Jogeshwari West which closed after a staffer tested positive and had to be hospitalisedA patient wait for COVID9 test at a dialysis centre in ChemburLast week Millat directed us to a private laboratory for COVID19 test Both our reports came back negative Godfrey said adding My father had to be hospitalised a few days later as he missed his dialysis session when Millat closed We have already spent over Rs 88000 on his treatment and cannot afford any more expensive tests Thankfully the private laboratory didnt charge us for the testGodfrey said he is not sure if we have to repeat the test Surana Sethia Hospital Managing Director Dr Prince Surana also said there was a need for a clarity If the dialysis patients get tested today it doesnt mean they will stay protected They are vulnerable even after the test report comes back negative once Multiple tests are needed but it is not financially feasible for manyDr Prashant Rajput a senior nephrologist at Parels Global Hospitals also raised a concern about the cost The city has approximate 10000 dialysis patients aged between two to 80 years and majority of them are above 50 years and belong to the lower middle class Only 10 percent of the patients can afford the additional cost he said Dr Rajput added On an average a patient requires two to three dialysis a week and one session costs around Rs 2000 An additional test worth R4500 will surely put financial stress on them When asked if the state government and the BMC should intervene and provide some concessions or free service to the elderly patients Dr Rajput said The Task Force appointed by the government should consider thisFree only at civic hospitalsBMC Deputy Executive Health Officer Dr Daksha Shah said the COVID19 test is free at the designated civic hospitals however in case of private laboratory where people can afford to pay will have to pay R4500 as per the approved normsWhen informed that a private labo in the Western Suburbs did not charge a dialysis patient Dr Shah said The assistant municipal commissioner were given power to tie up with certain private laboratories because initially a lot more samples were coming for testing It is possible the patient wasnt charged because of the tieupCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news