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.
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.
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.
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.
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,” he added.
The rising cost of hospital meals is just one facet of a broader trend where inflation and energy price hikes are impacting healthcare affordability. For patients with chronic conditions requiring frequent hospitalisation, the cumulative effect of these increases can be devastating. As LPG prices continue to fluctuate, hospitals may face further pressure to adjust charges, potentially making healthcare even less accessible for lower-income groups.
In response, patient advocacy groups are calling for greater transparency in hospital billing and for government intervention to cap essential service charges. Meanwhile, families are left to navigate an increasingly expensive healthcare landscape, often at the expense of other basic needs.
