Exceptional Medical Care, Abysmal Administrative Experience
THE MEDICAL EXCELLENCE (5/5)
Dr. Siddhartha Ghosh and his team delivered outstanding care during a complex spinal surgery. What could have been a lengthy hospitalization became almost a day-care experience due to exceptional surgical skill and comprehensive post-operative care.
Dr. Ghosh personally visited multiple times post-surgery, demonstrating genuine commitment beyond the operating room. Team members Dr. Jatin and Dr. Arunava were equally impressive—attentive, skilled, and genuinely concerned about patient welfare.
The nursing staff were fantastic, managing pain and medications with consistent smiles and compassion. Special recognition to Sarita Raj (Akka), who was simply superhuman—attending to everyone with dedication and warmth despite being in high demand, especially during challenging night shifts when patient needs are greatest.
Physiotherapist Mr. Fareed provided patient, clear guidance on post-surgical recovery with excellent exercise demonstrations. The food was also commendable—tasty, wholesome, and healthy.
THE ADMINISTRATIVE NIGHTMARE (0/5)
Now the inexcusable part: our discharge became a NINE-HOUR ordeal of bureaucratic dysfunction and callous indifference.
Medically cleared for discharge in the morning, we were trapped until 8 PM due to "billing issues." Hours of anxiety followed as we were sent in circles:
Told in-patient pharmacy billing was pending
Pharmacy claimed they received nothing, directed us to nursing staff
Nursing staff reported IT blamed "software issues"
NO ONE had solutions or even suggestions
For a flagship hospital in 2025, claiming "software issues" prevent discharge is either gross incompetence or a convenient excuse. The psychological toll was immense—family arrangements disrupted, elderly relatives waiting anxiously, attendants running on days of sleepless nights.
The management showed breathtaking insensitivity. There were even attempts to pressure us into staying another night despite medical clearance, ignoring our distress and carefully made arrangements.
I strongly suspect this was designed to charge for an extra day. While unprovable, every delay conveniently extended our stay. The "issue" miraculously resolved after a doctor's secretary intervened, and that same evening (8 PM!) we received confirmation Apollo had submitted our insurance claim—something they could have done during business hours, preventing this entire nightmare.
Management's Cowardly Tactic: Apollo uses frontline staff—the exceptional nursing sisters and junior doctors—as scapegoats ("Shikhandis") to face patients' justifiable rage while decision-makers hide. These dedicated professionals who provided exemplary care were forced to defend indefensible failures they couldn't resolve.
CONCLUSION
The contrast is stark: world-class medical care undermined by dysfunctional administration. Dr. Ghosh's team exemplifies healthcare excellence; management's billing/discharge processes are broken and potentially exploitative.
To Apollo Management: Your administrative failures traumatize patients and families while damaging the reputations of your exceptional medical staff. Fix your systems immediately. If October 9th's discharge chaos was deliberate delay for billing purposes, cease this practice. Stop using healthcare workers as shields for management-level incompetence.
Identify who's responsible and hold them accountable—unless you're the ones to blame.
Medical Care: 5/5 | Administrative Experience: 0/5
Prospective patients: expect excellent medical treatment but prepare for potential discharge nightmares that can erase all goodwill.
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