App based patient referral system brought under notice of PM by surgeons body
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Delhi: The Association of Minimal Access Surgeons of India (AMASI) has brought an issue regarding the use of mobile apps for the refferal of patients 'without examination' to doctors in the notice of the PM.
According to the letter written by AMASI, " It jeopardizes adequate clinical judgment by a trained person regarding need for surgery and decision as to the type of surgery that would be optimum for the particular patient. The apps are made for the sole purpose of making money." Moreover, there are advertisements by such mobile app companies, in the social media, which may amount to vulgar abetment of gullible, inexperienced or naïve surgeons/doctors depicting them as saleable commodities as akin to the selling of slaves by putting a price on them and making the public choose the cheapest offer.
" This demeaning attitude and action of such companies is very detrimental to the self-image of the medical community and questions the very sensibility of Indian society. AMASI takes serious umbrage of such nefarious activities by these ill-meaning mobile apps", added the letter. Some hospitals are also in alliance with these mobile app companies which then direct unsuspecting patients to the hospital which pays maximum to the app company.
Talking to Medical Dialogues, AMASI president Dr. Jugindra Sorokhaibam stated, " These aggregators assign surgeries to doctors after a patient use their app. However, such practices are unethical and highly risky. As there is no long-term association between the patient and the doctor, there was no time for the doctor to consider alternative ways of treatment for the doctor. Thus patients might be subjected to unnecessary treatment." He further informed that an emergency meeting was held on January 28 and it was decided that any member who has made such a contract should abstain from associating with such online platforms.
" Sir, PMJAY is a flagship program initiated by you. We very much believe that you had the poor population and their health in mind and appreciate your program for being one of its kinds in the world. But such third party interference to utilize the very insurance you provided to health care system at a cheaper rate defeats the very purpose of this noble program. Hence all auditing steps be introduced such that none can misuse and malign your benchmark program", stated the letter.
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