(Relevant for Sociology Syllabus: Paper 1 , Paper 2)
(Relevant for GS Syllabus: Paper 1)
I got the inspiration to pen down this article from a post of a friend in my society who recently went to Community Hospital at Sector 110, Noida for Covid Test of his pregnant wife.
As per him, the entire process was smooth and the medical staff was very helpful. Above all, the testing was free of cost. He had to get a registration slip by paying mere ‘One Rupee’.
The report was handed over within 2-3 days. He was very appreciative of the efforts and arrangement made by Uttar Pradesh government and Noida administration, who according to him were doing a great job.
On the contrary, we keep hearing/reading about the stories of fleecing by private labs and charging of humongous amount for Covid treatment by so-called Super Speciality Hospitals run by individuals and corporate houses.
I recently came across a true incident, wherein, one such hospital charged Rs 3,55,000/- or So for 16 days admission. The breakdown given in the bill indicated that medicines worth only Rs 450/- administered during the entire stay and lab tests cost around Rs 2400/-. Rest amount around 3,52,000/- was charged under various superfluous heads. Needless to say that this inhuman practice brought the ugly face of human greed to the fore.
Such attitude and practice is not restricted to the current Covid Pandemic situation. The greed to earn from human tragedy is seen everywhere in all parts of the country and across all section of society. To illustrate this, I will put forth a few incidents.
I was posted in J&K when devastating floods occurred in 2014 and the entire valley was inundated. Each “Shikara Wala”(boatman) was charging Rs 3000-5000 per person to rescue them from floods. This was across the board as they made no discrimination between hapless tourists as well as own brethren.
When flight operations started, airlines started charging from four to ten times than usual fares. This practice is still going on and unscrupulous people do the same when a calamity strikes any part of the country. They fill their coffers by acting like vultures who feed on the dead.
Why to go far, even during current pandemic situations, it is not only Hospitals who are fleecing the sufferers, even taxi, bus and truck operators have looted poor migrants by charging exorbitant fee.
On the contrary, all organs of government administration and facilities such as hospitals, labs and transportation services like buses, trains or Aircraft came to rescue by rising to the occasion. The human tragedy of current nature needed a humane approach from all stakeholders, but money mongers among us proved contrary.
On one hand, common people propelled by compassion provided all kind of help such as food packets and ration kits from their meagre and depleted resources. Whereas heartless people do not hesitate to exploit devasted people.
Govt administration and hospitals and police forces who are subjected to perpetual abuse and condemnation have become “Mesiha”. Day in and day out they disregarding their personal safety provided much-needed succour to society. And in the bargain, many Covid Warriors have succumbed to this dreaded disease.
This brings us to moot question, who is better; the so-called corrupt and insensitive govt machinery and police or these white-collared corporates and some unscrupulous members of civil society who earn from human tragedy.
In these trying times, various political parties have also not been less culprit. Instead of closing the ranks and standing behind the govt of the day to help the citizens, they indulged only in fault finding and blame game, thereby creating hindrance in the efforts made by the governments.
Their mouth is shut when airlines, bus/taxi operators or private hospitals (mostly owned by political big-wigs) fleece the people struck by the tragedy. But make huge “hullabaloo” on alleged/planted stories of railways charging a meagre amount in special trains. Their all actions are motivated not by public concern but to gain political mileage.
The public in distress is ready to shell out any amount which is demanded by members from leeches in the society. This painful contradiction needs to be curbed and regulations must be brought in to ensure that losses are not made up or profiteering does not take place during natural calamities and human tragedies.
