Goan doctors overcharging foreigners

MARGAO — Medical care of international standards, affordable and a good holiday, well this is medical tourism for you in just one sentence. But is Goa slowly loosing out on its potential of providing quality services to the patients at reasonable rates even though the rates are much cheaper than Europe but not cheaper than other parts of the country?

Goa is one of the most sought after holiday destinations, Goan doctors command a lot of respect of patients not only from Goans but from the world over. However, recent trends in the industry in the name of medical tourism have changed. Doctors, realizing that there is quick and big money, have started openly practising unethical procedures to improve their ‘business.’

Sources in the industry informed that medical tourism has become completely commercialised. The doctors are learning from the taxi drivers and are over charging the foreigners. They informed that some doctors are openly giving commissions on patients sometimes even upto 25 per cent, and as a result the cost of treatment has gone up.

The sources also informed that even though many clinics and hospitals claim of having medical facilities of international standards, it is not true in all the cases.

As a result there has been a drop in the quality of services and the patients feel cheated.

Based on the feedback received from patients, noted dentist Dr Hubert Gomes observed, “Only those doctors who deliver value for money with quality services will survive in the industry. The tourists have become very wise. They study the set-up of doctors, the equipment and the value for money before they decide as to where they get their treatment done.”

He said that the patients even compare the services that are provided in other states and feel that they are being overcharged in Goa and that too after compromising in the quality in services. Dr Gomes fears that it’s just a matter of time that Goa will lose on its potential of medical tourism.

A British tourist, Ms M Julian (name changed) who was waiting at a dental clinic informed that she has both good and bad experiences in Goa with regard to medical care. She said thought treatment in Goa was cheaper then back in England, other states in India offer much better treatment and at rates much cheaper than Goa.

She said not all the doctors are bad, some doctors really treat you with a lot of respect and give you proper attention while there are a few who care too little. Citing her own example she said that she had visited a dentist in Mapusa to get a cavity treated and added that the dentist did filling up in such a hurry that she didn’t even wait for the cavity to dry up before doing the filling as a result she had to repeat her treatment.

Courtesy:navhindtimes.com
Complete artical HERE