Chennai Man Shocked After Clinic Charges Rs 9,900 For Fever Treatment: "Absolutely Not Worth It"

A tweet by a Chennai man has gone viral after he claimed that he was charged nearly Rs 10,000 for a consultation, tests, and medicines for a "simple fever" at an Apollo Clinic. The incident has sparked a heated debate on social media regarding the high cost of corporate healthcare in India and the necessity of extensive diagnostic testing for minor illnesses. The man labelled the charges "absolutely not worth it" for a mild fever and cold.

"Just a simple fever - went to @ApolloClinics for consultation. Total bill - 9000 rupees. Blood test, swab test, etc., etc., etc. Plus, tablets are worth 900 rupees. Absolutely not worth it," Prashanth Rangaswamy wrote on X. 

See the post here:

Just a simple fever - went to @ApolloClinics for consultation .

Total bill - 9000 rupees . Blood test , swab test etc etc etc .

Plus tablets worth 900 rupees .

Absolutely not worth it .

— Prashanth Rangaswamy (@itisprashanth) March 17, 2026

Apollo Clinics responded to the tweet and wrote, "Thank you for the feedback. Please let us know the clinic location and share your contact details so our team can assist you at the earliest."

While some users criticized the clinic for overcharging, others argued that patients have a choice to go to smaller clinics or government facilities and that going to a corporate hospital implies agreeing to their pricing structure. 

The tweet also drew a sgarp response from Dr. Sudhir Kumar, a neurologist at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, who said, "For a simple fever, I do not consult a doctor, I avoid doing tests/investigations, and I do not take antibiotics or even paracetamol. I must have saved lakhs of rupees in the past thirty years."

Another user wrote, "Many visit government hospitals for simple fevers and get treated free of cost. Why do people avoid going to government hospitals?"

"Sir...why would you go to Apollo Clinic for a simple fever? Also, did they force the various tests on you? You had a choice. You could have asked for a second opinion from a family physician in the neighborhood," a third commented. 

A fourth added, "These hospital clinics are meant to drag you into their system for extortion." They're not there to cure but to move you from the clinic to the hospital. For small issues, go to your neighborhood physician. Their hospitals are tertiary care and above. Go only if referred."

"The saddest part? Government hospitals have the doctors and the talent but not the infrastructure. Private hospitals have the infrastructure but not the ethics. And the common man is stuck paying Rs 9000 for what paracetamol and rest could have fixed," stated a fifth user.