Bhopal: Out-of-pocket expenditure during hospitalisation is becoming a growing concern for families already struggling with inflation. Even routine patient meals, an essential part of recovery, have turned costlier as commercial LPG price hikes ripple through hospital diet kitchens.
Rising Cost of Patient Meals
For most patients outside Ayushman Bharat coverage, this means higher bills at discharge, with diet charges quietly adding to the overall cost of hospitalisation. According to a representative of the Madhya Pradesh Nursing Home Association, citing an example of a NABH approved hospital, the price of a patient thali has risen from ₹120 to ₹140 — a 16.7% increase.
Operational Costs Impact Healthcare
Some hospital administrators argue that rising operational costs, including electricity, fuel for backup power systems and transportation, have also affected healthcare delivery. Energy costs directly influence hospital operations. Maintaining equipment, cooling systems and emergency services has become more expensive.
At a Govindpura-based private hospital, which sublets its kitchen services, the recent LPG-driven meal price hikes have not yet been passed on. “We have a contract, and the prices remain unchanged,” a hospital official said.
Burden on Patients
Patients say the cost of medicines, diagnostics and hospital stays has steadily climbed over the past year, forcing many middle- and lower-income families to dip into savings or borrow money for treatment. The burden is particularly severe for patients managing chronic illnesses, where repeated visits and long-term medication are unavoidable.
“Every month there is some new expense. First electricity bills went up, then LPG cylinders became expensive, and now even basic treatment feels unaffordable,” said a patient’s relative who has a chronic ailment and requires frequent hospitalisation.
Broader Healthcare Challenges
Healthcare activists and economists note that even when treatment is available in government facilities, patients often spend significantly on medicines, tests and transport. Private hospitals, meanwhile, remain beyond the reach of many families unless they have insurance coverage.
Out-of-pocket healthcare spending has always been high, but the pressure of rising fuel and energy costs is worsening the situation. Some families are cutting spending on essentials to manage medical bills.
