I am writing this to convey my experience at the new Columbia Asia Referral Hospital at Yeshwantpur, Bangalore which opened just about 3 months back. The only reason I chose this hospital was because of its proximity to my residence.
My daughter was admitted with an undiagnosed fever early this month, and the doctors carried out all possible tests, but were unable to diagnose anything.
The worst part about this new hospital is that they lack diagnostic/laboratory facilities except for basic stuff like routine blood and urine examinations - and, they outsource all such diagnostic tests outside. This is a nightmare really - everytime they say that the test results will come today/tomorrow, and the results never come on time. I can’t imagine why a hospital of such a stature has to outsource lab tests - is it only to keep in-patients waiting so that they can earn more from the rooms?
Overall, though their rooms, etc. are good, the system of visitors for patients sucks(only one companion allowed with every patient, and only one visitor from 4-7PM everyday)!
Also, they don’t allow outside food to be brought in(neither for the patients nor for the companions), the food quality is just about average(certainly not palatable to child patients), and to top it all they charge you for the food in addition to the room charges!
Lastly, the nursing staff is fairly new and inexperienced, and they had to make several jabs to locate a vein for blood samples - to the extent that my daughter was terrified every time she saw a nurse approaching her for drawing a blood sample.
Even though I was covered by cashless Medical Insurance, what surprised me that they charged me separately for stuff that they claimed would not be paid by the Insurance company - stuff like alcohol swabs, latex examination gloves, OT linen sheet, and even luxury tax payable on the rooms!
I also wonder whether a corporate healthcare provider like this hospital has a Peer Review Committee(which is normally present in such hospitals), because my very strong suspicion is that they did a biopsy on my daughter when it was really not called for.
All in all, not a very pleasant experience, and at least I am not going to go back to this hospital(God fobid, if I ever have to!) again.
Sudhir Garg
Bangalore