On Jul 10, 2014, at 10:50 AM, Melvyn Fernandes <[email protected]> wrote:
Dear JC.....(1) Kithem santam rae....bikinis....top shot men "peon" Goa advisors ...... ......accelerators...(2) unscrupulous doctors and taxi drivers.....knickers..... (3) Duty of care....If there were no patients you would not have doctors....football...legislators....our tiny dot of (4)Goa where people appear to backward, stupid ...My Village Scheme....Bishop's house ... My dear Melvyn, I will attempt to touch on the few points I have numbered (above) from your rather intriguing post. If Goanet carries that post, the following is my response. MF(1) "Kithem santam rae" jc: NO idea what that means.....or even in what language .. MF(2) "unscrupulous doctors" jc: Yes, regrettably, we have them everywhere, including in Goa and in the UK. MF(3) "Duty of care" jc: Yes, that is a specific term in Tort and in Legal Medicine. In medicine, it relates to the duty a physician has towards a patient with whom he has an established physician-patient relationship. MF(4) Goa where people appear to backward, stupid .. jc: My impression of Goa and it's people is exactly the opposite. What company do you keep when you visit Goa? PS: I will take this opportunity to reiterate a few points I have made earlier: a: Private doctors' offices are NOT charity service outlets. b: As a matter of policy and good business practice, doctors' offices MUST ascertain HOW their services will be compensated BEFORE the patient is touched UNLESS they (the doctors' offices) do NOT intend to pay their own licensing fees, malpractice premiums, their rental and utility bills and their staff, AND they intend to go broke in short order. c: While a physician may, on occasion, decide to NC (no charge) a patient in need, he cannot make that as a routine....nor can he advertise free or reduced-fee services. The latter is considered as a form of bribery and unfair inducement (kick back). d: When dealing with 'foreign' patients, the physicians' offices have to be extra vigilant. Some tourists believe that just because they have 'Travel Insurance' (say from the UK), the doctor in Goa is expected to see them right away. NOT So. e: Many of our UK Goans may NOT be aware that Health Insurance policies have many caveats eg: deductibles, copays and their own 'customary' rates. Some policies require prior pre-certification by the physician OR ELSE the services will be either not be compensated for or compensated at a significantly lower rate. All this after the appropriate forms have been completed with ICD and CPT codes. US and Canadian Goans will understand this because they routinely see EOBs (Explanation of Benefits) after they consult a private physician. BTW: It is possible that some UK Goans are unaware that Goa private doctors are NOT paid by the NHS-UK......or any other NHS. f: ' Faleam' and 'Deu Borem Korum baba' do not help compensate for services provided. g: Melvyn, based on the information you have hitherto provided, IMO, your sweeping tirade against Goans and Goan doctors is totally inappropriate. h: Again, based on the information you have hitherto provided, the "water injection" story as "advised by the UK doctor" is pure Gas. jc
