Planned Admissions
Planned admission to a private hospital in Mumbai is a bit like checking into a hotel. Below are general procedures for planned admissions and emergency admissions, but please note that the process varies from hospital to hospital.
- Call in advance first to see if there is availability.
- Once at the hospital, go to the reception or the admissions counter.
- Provide your passport, an admissions request note from your doctor, and your insurance information.
- Fill out registration forms and select your preferred type of room. There are different rooms available to suit different budgets. For example, at Lilavati Hospital in Bandra, accommodation ranges from a room full of beds in a “common room” to an “executive suite” with a private bed and flat screen television.
- Select a mode of payment – usually cash or credit card. Put down a deposit, of if you have a company line of credit, provide a company Letter of Authority. The deposit will later be reimbursed through your insurance company.
- Receive your reservation or admissions number.
- Your illness and treatment will be explained to you. Then read and sign consent forms.
- Someone will guide you to your room.
Emergency Admissions
You can be admitted to a private hospital for an emergency 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Most hospital staff will speak English.
Do I need health insurance to receive treatment?
No, but the hospital staff will make sure you are financially sound before they treat you. If you don’t have insurance, you’ll need to put down a larger deposit than normal, which, depending on the ailment, can be as much as Rs 20,000 to Rs 80,000. The deposit amount entirely depends on the complaint when you go to the hospital and the type of room you’d like to book. (Hospitals in Mumbai have a range of room options from cheaper more barren rooms shared with others up to expensive private suites that are almost like business hotel rooms, and a few options in between the extremes.)
What if I don’t have my health insurance card with me or proof that I can pay?
This is not a good position to be in. Contact your local GP who can try to help you out. The staff in the Emergency Room will only give you first aid, and receiving further treatment after that could be troublesome. You will definitely not be admitted if you don’t have health insurance proof or cash.
Do all hospitals accept emergencies?
All hospitals accept emergencies, though not all are fully equipped to handle them. See below.
Should I go to a private hospital?
Private hospitals in Mumbai are run by individual doctors as clinics. They are registered with local municipal authorities, but none of them have proper emergency back up. You should go to one of the larger, well-known hospitals, which are not considered private because they have some government backing. Recommended hospitals include: Holy Family, Lilavati, Breach Candy, Kokil Ben Ambani, Asian Heart Institute, Bombay Hospital, Cumballa Hill Hospital and Research Center, Jaslok, Hiranandani, and Hinduja Hospital.
Should I call ahead if possible?
No, you don’t need to, you can just walk into the emergency room. Only call ahead if your GP comes to your house and tells you that you need a hospital admission. In this case you’d need to call ahead to book a room to avoid arriving at a fully booked hospital.
Links to Hospital Admission Procedures
- Asian Heart Institute, Bandra: http://www.asianheartinstitute.org/patient-guide/admission-process.php
- Breach Candy Hospital, Breach Candy: http://www.breachcandyhospital.org/
- Hiranandani Hospital, Powai: http://www.hiranandanihospital.org/
- Lilavati Hospital, Bandra: http://lilavatihospital.com
