Big hospital with no human touch. Review on KIMS Hospital - Secunderabad - Hyderabad

Recently, we took our mother(aged 87 years)to KIMS, Secunderabad as she fell down and broke her hip bone. My sister in law and my brother took her to the emergency/casualty, where she was kept for evaluation. Later, I rushed to the Hospital and tried to see my mother but the security guard did not allow me. He asked the name of my mother and I told him my mother's name. He said already there is one attendant and he cannot allow another. I told him I would see my mother and come back at once. Then he took me inside the emergency ward and I saw my mother on the stretcher and my sister in law standing beside her. My mother was attached to some machines. No body told me anything. I came out and waited.

After two hours plus, (for all these three hours my sister in law was standing, she is 60 years old and they did not even provide a fibre chair or stool) my sister in law called me and said doctor is telling something, I should come in and listen. I went inside along with my sister in law and both of us stood in front of the doctor, who was busy with computer. After some time he looked up and asked what do we want. I told him in telugu that my mother is on bed no. 10 and what treatment does he suggest. He asked me either to speak in hindi or english. Then I spoke to him in hindi. He said they would have to do surgery and it will be done on the third day. I said why so much delay. He said, today is friday, tomorrow they will conduct tests and sunday they cannot do surgery and that we have to wait till monday. Then they allotted a double sharing room and asked us to pay the money. I have paid 8000 plus for emergency attention and 50000 for allotment of room and further management. She was shifted to 10th floor.

For entire saturday and sunday, we waited for them to tell the estimate amount for the surgery but no onetold us anything. I left the hospital at about 9 pm on sunday and at about 10 pm in the night, the floor manager came to my mother's room and asked my sister to pay Rs. 1, 75, 000/- initially for the surgery. My sister told him that I had left just now and we would pay the next day morning. Then she called me on her phone and gave it to him to tell me about the payment. The floor manager spoke to me on my sister's phone and requested to pay 1, 75, 000/- immediately as the surgery is scheduled for 8 am next morning. I told him that I have just returned home and I would pay the amount by 6:30 am next morning and that they can then take the patient for surgery. He repeatedly told me that I had to pay by 6:30 am, otherwise surgery may not go as scheduled.

Next day morning, I came at 6:30 am but had to wait till 7:30 am to make the payment. Then I went to my mother's room and we waited for the surgery to take place. A junior doctor came and told us that surgery would be at 10am and we nodded and waited. We waited and waited. It was 10:30, 11, 11;30. 12, 12:30 pm. no information was given and nothing happened and at 12:45, two nurses have come and wheeled out my mother on the stretcher from 10th floor to 6th floor and was kept in the Pre-Operative ward and the nurse who wheeled inside told us to wait in the lounge and it may take about one hour to take her to operation theater. The waiting lounge was full, there were no empty chairs. we had to wait for some time, then one chair got vacant and my sister who is 65 years went and sat in it.

However, hours passed and I was continuously standing in the corridor in front of the pre-operative ward waiting. In the mean time, I could see from the narrow space of sliding door of the Pre-operative ward that my mother who is very old and not in good senses has been throwing off her clothes, the male patient in the next bed had to turn his face away in embarassment but he could not call anyone to take care of my mother, as the nurses were out of his sight. This can be seen from this monday's cctv footage. I came to waiting lounge and told my sister to go in and help mother. When we returned to the pre operative ward, one nurse was covering my mother. There is a provision of curtains shielding women from men but no body bothered. We had to wait and wait, while other patients who were in good condition and carrying their own files and were walking on their own were being wheeled into the operation theater for surgery ahead of my mother.

The patients who were brought in just now were also sent into operation theater but not my mother since we did not have any influence. All the while no one from the hospital told us anything. We were totally kept in dark. We did not know till what time does surgeries go on or will it be postponed to next day. There was absolutely no information despite we asking the nurses and other staff. They told us they do not know anything, they would send the patient to the operation theater only when they are asked to. Then I lost my cool and asked them to show me the person who will give us the clear idea as to when the surgery would take place. After dilly-dallying for more than 20 minutes, one nurse guided me to one Ms. Jaya, who also did not know what was happening. She gave me a white paper and asked me to write a complaint. I refused stating that I want information as to what is the reason for such abnormal delay. She went out of her room without saying anything. I waited a few minutes and I came out of her room and found her talking to some young lady infront of the operation theater. The lady introduced herself as Ms Yogita, Senior Manager(Operations) and asked what my problem was. I explained her that I was asked to pay the money by 6:30 am and that my mother would be taken for surgery by 8 am and that it is about 4:30 in the evening, and she is still writhing in pain in the pre-operative ward waiting for the surgery. She apologised for not informing me the status and said next patient for the surgery would be my mother.

In the meantime, the Orhtopedic Surgeon, who is supposed to do the surgery summoned me into the corridor of Operation theater, but I was reluctant to go. Then another junior doctor came and requested me to come and see the Surgeon. As I entered the corridor, the Surgeon asked me why I was quarrelling. I told him that I was informed that surgery is scheduled for 8 in the morning and accordingly I have brought money by 6:30 and paid and that surgery is yet to take place. The Surgeon said who told me that surgery would be at 8 am and that I am telling lies. I said if I am telling lies, why would I bring the money by 6:30 am and pay, if the surgery is in the afternoon or evening. He said surgeries would not start before 10 am and that they had an emergency surgery so my mother's surgery was delayed. I said what sort of emergency would take more than 6 hours and why were we not informed about the same thing. He said they would not inform and that we had to just wait. He also said, it is only one day for us and for them it is daily business and we should understand. What he forgot to tell was that he had chosen that profession and he charges a bomb for each of the surgeries. He also forgot that they are not doing charity and they are being paid huge amounts to let them have expensive vehicles and mansions. Our weakness is their strength.

The staff are generally arrogant. They do not take responsibility. There is utter lack of coordination among different wings. There is no transparency. They take patients and attendants for granted. Their time is not valued. No one bothers to update or guide. They think they are doing a favour to us. I could sense the Surgeon feeling he was demi-God. It is as if he talking to us is a boon. I found doctors unresponsive, mechanical and in humane. My mother's dignity was endangered due to negligence of pre-operative ward staff, for them it is a routine matter.

The covid 19 regulations are openly flouted. Though there are about 10 lifts(elevators) for 15 floors only half of them are operated, the remaining are not being operated obviously to save the wear and tear and power bills. These elevators are night mare, because each of these elevators are crammed with as many as 20 people. Sometimes, a patient on stretcher and two patients on wheelchairs along with others. The elevators do not stop and one has to wait for an eternity to enter into a lift. The lifts are really awful.

The canteen, at peak hours is overcrowded. People, literally sit on each others lap, to eat. While the medical staff have a spacious hall. They have never heard what is called decent dining or human dignity.

Nothing is good here. Even to pay the money, you have to wait in the queue. Those collecting money are also arrogant. They never answer properly. They refuse to clarify any doubt. They say they are there to take the money and give receipt and they know nothing more than that.

Even at the Nurses station, they are all ignorant of any information we ask, They say they do not know anything.

Finally, there are restrictions on visitors. These days the human relations have touched rock bottom. No body has time to visit anyone. Only the close kith and kin, that too more out of obligation visit the patients. This would help the patients to have some mental strength, even that is curtailed. I am the son of the patient and to take care of food of the attendant, payments etc., but I was repeatedly not allowed at the lift. The security guards in faded blue dress bark at us. I was reminded of Government Hospitals of 1970s and 80s.

There is absolutely no accountability in this hospital.

The surgeries are conducted at their convenience and not as per schedule and no body bothers to inform.

I had very bad experience with this hospital. I would never go for treatment and nor would recommend to anyone.