Sant Seechewal demands strict action against private hospitals and insurance companies
Punjab E News (April 1): Rajya Sabha Member Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal raised the issue of exploitation by private hospitals and insurance companies under the guise of healthcare services in Parliament. During Zero Hour, he highlighted how poor people are being exploited over basic issues like healthcare and warned citizens about the growing tendency of treating patients as mere ‘customers’. He urged the House to take strict action to curb the exploitation by private hospitals and insurance companies. He also emphasized that insurance policy terms should be simple and available in the mother tongue so that people can easily read and understand them.
Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal stated in the House that under the Chief Minister Health Insurance Scheme in Punjab, treatment up to ₹10 lakh is provided free of cost. He stressed that a similar model should be implemented across the country to provide accessible healthcare to the common people.
He further said that to avoid the high costs of private hospitals, people turn to institutions like PGI in Chandigarh. However, due to patients coming from around eight states, these hospitals are already under immense pressure. He demanded that more hospitals like PGI should be established.
He added that in India, doctors are regarded as second only to God, and healthcare services are seen as a noble profession. However, over time, healthcare has increasingly turned into a profit-driven business.
While private medical facilities are becoming unaffordable for the common man, insurance companies claim to support patients in times of need. However, when the need arises, they make policy terms so complex that ordinary people end up feeling cheated.
The nexus between insurance companies and private hospitals has trapped the common man in a system where the fear of treatment has become greater than the fear of illness itself. In this entire setup, insurance companies have emerged as the most cunning players.
Sant Seechewal also pointed out that due to expensive treatments, many families are forced to exhaust their savings and even sell their jewelry, land, property, and homes.
