Ill preface this by saying that Im a physician myself. I know how an emergency department works. What happened at Hiranandani Hospital, Powai, was infuriatinga long wait in an almost empty ER, insurance talk before triage, a push for needless tests despite a normal ECG, and paperwork that falsely claims we were referred from Genetic Counselling Clinic. That is not a small clerical slip; its a serious accuracy failure.
We reached around 12:40 am(cab payment timestamp). The ER looked emptythree providers, two nurses, multiple unused bedsyet the first proper assessment happened only around 1:20 am. Thats roughly 40 minutes with no triage, no history, no vitals. In an emergency setting, that delay is not just annoying; its unacceptable.
The very first line we heard was about insurance not covering the visitbefore anyone asked what was wrong or checked a pulse. That statement was completely baseless. Nothing about this presentation, the tests actually performed, or the final disposition made it inherently not covered; it came across as an attempt to frame the encounter around payment rather than care. In an ED, triage and stabilisation should come first. Period.
The patient: a 24 year old woman with loose stools, dehydration, cramps, and hand paresthesias. The ECG was normal. Despite a low pretest probability for cardiac disease and a normal ECG, a full cardiac panel was pushed straight awaythis included cardiac enzymes, an echo, and a cardiology referral. Let me reiterate: on a 24 year old woman with no comorbidities, no cardiac symptoms, and a normal ECG. We requested what was actually needed: IV fluids, an electrolyte panel and a calcium panel to look for an electrolyte driven cause of the cramps. After back and forthwith me as well as the patients sister, a paediatrician who was on the phonethey finally agreed to fluids and electrolytes, but forgot calcium and only added it near discharge at no cost, as if that erases the oversight. Symptoms improved with IV fluids, exactly as expected.
The paperwork made everything worse. The bill literally lists Referral Doctor: GENETIC COUNSELLING CLINIC. We did not come from any genetics clinic. The discharge form labels the exit as LAMA(because of the refusal for cardiac work up), even though immediate care(IV NS) was given and, after improvement, the plan was to follow routine labs at home. This also complicates insurance claims. The treating doctors actual name is missing on the main summary; a generic A&E Physician is printed instead. This isnt a harmless typo; it damages trust, confuses future care, and should be corrected promptly.
The charge was about ₹;6, 000 for roughly two hoursone IV normal saline, electrolytes, an ECG without reporting, and a handful of consumableswhile we repeatedly had to push for clinically sensible decisions. Decide for yourself if that looks like value. But pair that bill with a 40 minute wait in an empty ER, a baseless not covered line before triage, aggressive testing despite a normal ECG, and false entries on the bill and dischargeand trust evaporates.
This is my direct experience, backed by the documents from that night. If it isnt a life threatening emergency, get a second opinion. Emergency doctors should prioritise triage and treatment, not insurance scripts and revenue friendly panels. Patients deserve timely attention, sensible testing, and records that are accurate, complete, and truthful. At the very least, fix the recordremove the incorrect genetic counselling referral, correct the disposition, and name the treating doctor. For clarity, we were seen by Sonal Raj, and the experience left us thoroughly unimpressed. The hospital needs to review ED triage, communication, documentation, and how staff talk about insurancebecause what we were told was baseless and out of line.