New Delhi:
After the initial hesitation, the government included private hospitals in the fight against swine flu. But lately, they are facing flak from the government once again.
So far, there are 670 deaths due to swine flu in our country, and according the health ministry most of it is due late reporting, for which they hold private doctors responsible.
When Rajesh Paliwal's 13-year-old son recently complained of breathlessness with fever, he was taken to a local private hospital.
Doctors there put on him a nebuliser for two days in a row, not realising that the child actually had swine flu. The disease was confirmed by a test five days later. By then his wife and daughter had also caught the flu.
"The hospital was not able to explain the problem either. They just insisted that he should get admitted. They did not even suggest the possibility that it could be H1N1. Then we can probably take precaution and do something," said Rajesh.
The Health Ministry says Rajesh Paliwal's is not an isolated case. Despite conducting workshops for private doctors in Delhi, Gujarat and Maharashtra - where private hospitals are allowed to treat swine flu patients - many doctors are still unable to sight the symptoms of the flu, or treat it quickly.
Over the past month, Delhi alone has seen 2,660 cases - a number of them beginning treatment late.
"I think most of the deaths are happening due to late reporting and that is primarily because the private doctors are not guiding people on time. I think they need to get their act together," said Union Health Secretary Sujata Rao.
Private health practitioners agree there is a lapse between detection and treatment, but say in response that government's own guidelines on treatment are partly to blame.
"I have noticed many a times that there is a confusion in guidelines. But 30-40 per cent of school going children get cold in winter. So they can't all be expected to go to the government sector, some will come to private hospitals also. So there is pressure," said Rahul Nagpal, Head of the department of pediatrics at Max Hospital.
Now that the private sector is being gradually included in the system to fight swine flu, the need of the hour is information and more clarity even within the doctor community.