Denial of patients' right

Quality health care at affordable rates still remains a luxury for a large section of the population

With reference to Veena Mani’s report, “Hospitals charging over 500% for angioplasty devices: Maharashtra FDA” (July 11), apart from overcharging, hospitals are reluctant to part with patients’ medical records although they have a right over them. 

Patients trying to get these records will face a “Chinese wall”. They are not allowed to even read their medical records. Even after a patient’s death, the records are not given to his or her family, on the pretext that these would be used for research. If a patient is admitted to a hospital, specialists who the patient has not even asked for, visit him