Why hospital treatment costs more in Telangana? Parliamentary panel points to private sector

In Telangana, hospital treatment costs approximately ₹55,000, making the state one of the highest in healthcare expenditure across the country, according to the Rajya Sabha's Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare. The committee's report, titled 'Affordability and accessibility on healthcare facilities in public and private sector,' attributes this high cost to the growing role of the private healthcare sector and gaps in public hospitals.

The average hospitalization episode costs around ₹52,000 in Tamil Nadu and between ₹40,000 to ₹45,000 in Kerala and Karnataka, compared to about ₹22,000 in Odisha and ₹25,000 in Mizoram and Meghalaya. The committee warned against assuming lower healthcare expenditure indicates better or more affordable care, as it could reflect poor access, lower service utilization, or patients opting for cheaper treatment due to unaffordability of more expensive care.

The private healthcare sector's expansion is particularly evident when comparing treatment costs nationally. A hospitalization in a government hospital averages ₹6,631, while in a private hospital, it is ₹50,508. The report highlights deficiencies in public healthcare infrastructure, shortages of medical personnel, and overcrowding as factors driving patients towards private hospitals.

Recommendations include increasing bed capacity and specialist manpower in government hospitals, particularly in metropolitan areas, and making essential medicines, diagnostic services, and modern amenities available in public facilities to avoid patients turning to private hospitals for basic or specialized care.