Cancer Treatment in Kerala, India

My younger brother was diagnosed with cancer about 3 years ago. He had intermittent fever and high wbc count. so the rural doctor sent him to velloor cmc. there, they diagnosed him for aml then they confirmed it is CML. 
Pros and Cons of various hospitals

CMC Velloor
1. Very good treatment
2. Very crowded. You cannot get any rooms in the hospital. you will have to hunt for lodges and stay there and come to see the doctor every day.

RCC. Trivandrum
http://www.rcctvm.org/warning%20signals.htm
1. Very good treatement.
2. Very clean and healthy environment
3. Dedicated and experienced STAFF
4. Lowest cost of treatment
4. Crowded . you cannot even walk through the hospital.
5. rooms will be allotted to you after a waiting for 3 to 4 days. So go to the hospital immediately if you see any changes in your health like fever or any pain. then you can get appointment with doctor  and book for a room. by the time your situatiion worsen, you will get a room.   Dont take any chances and  wait for the situation to worsen. if you reach the hospital in a tired situation, it is going to be hell. you will get admitted in a ward where your relatives cannot look after you and the staff in the crowded ward dont have enough time to look after you properly.
6. Need at least two bystanders. one person is needed to stand by patient to give food, medicine, cleaning etc. one person is needed to stand in various queues for medicine, laboratory tests, bill payments, purchases etc.
7. Long queue for Bone marrow transplant. the queue is at least 6 months long. so  If ever the doctors mention to you that your situation is worsening , immediately book for bone marrow transplant. you will  be optimistic that you will get cured, also the doctors wont mention this often. but keep asking then how can you book for the bone marrow transplant and once you book, immediately start searching for a donor.

Caritas Hospital, Kottayam

 They dont know anything about cancer. Coming here is suicide. 

My brother used to visit Dr. Gangadharan in Karitas Hospital as as second opinion. One day he visited the hopital with knee pain and high WBC Count.  and Dr. Amos, the chief Dr. in Caritas said it is just a mild infection, no need to worry, just take these antibiotics and go home. The situation didnt improve, he went there again after two days with breathing difficulty and they admitted him. Even though the situation didn't improve and he started urinary difficulties, they didn't recognize it is the cancer getting worse. They kept assuring it is just a mild infection and my brother who used to blindly believe in doctors thought it is true. They kept him there for a week and on the day of the all india strike they told us that you should shift him to another hospital immediatly or he will not survive. We planned to go to RCC but they said he will not survive the journey to TVM and only option is Lake shore. We said OK please arrange an ambulance for us quickly and they declined. They said they cannot spare their ambulances because the ambulance are used to transport their staff to home. Luckily we got another ambulance and we shifted him to lake shore and he expired after 36 hours.

I suspect Caritas is running a shoddy business with  Lakeshore and endangering the life of innocents to maximize their profit. May god forgive them.

Lakeshore Hospital , Cochin

1. good at palliative care. 

2. Peaceful environment. 
3. young and good looking staff.  
4. No need of bystanders.you just take care of the money. everything will be taken care by MBA graduates and hospital staff.
 5. Except one or two doctors that they highlight for name, the treatment is conducted by young and inexperienced doctors. The Nurses and staff are also young and inexperienced. 
6. Totally opaque. They will not let you know what treatment they are doing, what is the real situation,   what medicine they are giving. result of routine tests, lab reports .. Nothing
7.Dr. Gangadharan is a good doctor, but he is dead busy. he will not attend you in any emergency. he will preform his daily rounds. that is all. 

One last advice .

Any difficulty in breathing or urination is  a very serious symptom. dont waste any moment. rush to RCC straight away.

Desclimer

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Online Notarized Instruments Register

Need for Online Notarized Instruments Register.

Sir,

I am a non Resident Indian, aged 35.  My father passed away  5 years before and my younger brother passed away recently. To finish the formalities after their death and also for various other purposes, I had to visit many notaries. During these visits, I have found that.

1. Notaries are not properly verifying the identity of the person signing the documents.
2. Some notaries are allowing to documents to be taken to the signatories to get it signed and later return to the notary public to get it attested. In this case there is no mechanism to identify if the signature is forged. In this case the, signatories are not signing in the notary register, but the notary is forging the signature on the register or is not entered in the register.
3. A person receiving the notarized instrument cannot easily verify if it was properly attested by the notary or is forged.
4. A citizen cannot find out if someone has forged his signature or created any forged instrument on his name.

Due to these deficiencies, the a lot of innocent  people are cheated and  their property and money are taken over by others without even knowing such property or bank deposit existed to which they are a legal heir.

To address these deficiencies, I kindly request you to setup an Online Notarized Instruments Register. 

The notary should register the notarized document online and record the autogenerated registration number on the document.  Which can be used by  citizens or any Authority to search for any valid notarized instruments of him or documents having his attested signature. The register need not contain a copy of the instrument. Just the title, date of signing and name of the signatory and place is required.  Users can be easily identified by Name, Voters Id Card No or Adhaar Number.

Insurance Policies

Advantage of Insurance Policies
1. If you are starting a new life and have no financial security, it will give you peace of mind. In case of your accidental departure, your wife and children might get the policy amount and live a decent life. Make sure not to take the easier path os Short Medical Questionaries because these put you at fault if you fail to answer the questions properly.  But never invest your money with insurance company's by buying endowments or ULIP policies. the average returns  from insurance policies are always lower than bank interest. mostly it is around 5% what ever the agents claim.

Disadvantages of Insurance Policies:

1. The Insurance company will dig out somthing you didnt mention in the policy application and use that to deny your claim
2. It is a mental trauma for the dear ones to run from office to office to get the certificates the company's demand to process the claim.
3. Make sure you keep all these docuements in a safe place  and the place is known to legal heirs. If the your legal heirs fail to furnish any of the documents like driving licence, it is virutally impossible to get the caim amount.
4. The nominee is NOT the legal heir to the claim amount. He is merely a trusty and he is supposed to distribute the claim amounts to the heirs. 

5. You will have to change your policy every time your habits change

Do's

Who is to blame for the incorrect information in the application form? The villain is often the insurance agent.
He's the one who usually fills up the buyer's details in the lengthy form.
A buyer should not think the agent is doing him a favour if he deliberately overlooks any health problem.
He's doing so only to sell the policy and will not be around to help when the claim gets rejected due to the non-disclosure of the pre-existing ailment.
This is especially true in case of low-value insurance policies. Before they sell a policy, insurance companies subject the buyer to a range of medical tests.
The larger the insurance cover, the more rigorous the medical tests. If you are going in for a cover of Rs 15-20 lakh, the insurance company will not mind spending Rs 1,000-1,500 to assess whether you are in fine fettle.


Don't rely on the agent: Don't let the adviser fill up your application form. Ask him if you get stuck, but try and do it yourself. If for some reason you can't, go through the form after the agent has filled it up.
Don't just sign in the boxes blindly and think your job is done. After filling it up, retain a photocopy for your own record.
When you get the policy document and a photocopy of the form that you filled up, match it with the copy you have. This will ensure that all the information given in the form is correct.

"It is also important to check the agent's credibility and track record while buying a policy," says Vipin Anand, executive director, LIC.
Don't hide your health condition: Do not hold back any information relating to your health and family medical history. If you or any close relative has suffered from any of the specified ailments on which information is sought, give the true picture. Not mentioning it can lead to problems later on.
Also, don't hide facts like use of tobacco and alcohol consumption. "By admitting these facts, one makes it easier for the people for whom he is getting insured," says Ramana.

Ref : http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-05-09/news/29520556_1_total-claims-aegon-religare-life-insurance/2

Don't avoid medical tests: Contrary to popular perception, a rigorous medical test actually helps the buyer.
If a company gets the tests done, it rules out the chances of the claim being denied on account of pre-existing diseases. When Paurav Mehta's father died, the insurance company rejected the claim saying he had diabetes. Mehta approached the ombudsman, who ruled that the tests conducted by a panel of doctors designated by the company had cleared him and, therefore, the claim was valid.
State correct age, occupation, income and insurance coverage: Besides the health condition, you should also be completely honest about your age, occupation, income and other insurance cover. Your age defines the risk, so any inaccuracy can lead to rejection.
If your work profile involves risk, give the true picture. Don't overstate your income so that you can buy a large cover. You won't be around to do the fudging when the claim is rejected.
Also, tell the insurance company about any insurance cover that you have. This is important to remove any doubts about a moral hazard, where an individual insures himself for a huge amount and then kills himself so that his family gets the insurance amount.

What if a person becomes a smoker after some years of taking the policies ?

If the policyholder has developed any habit, like drinking or smoking, after buying the policy, he has to disclose this fact to the company as now he belongs to a different risk pool. The company may levy loading(increase in premiums) on the existing premium or even cancel the policy. This is necessary as violation of this term can result in decline of the claim in extreme cases.

6. Not all deaths are covered

What kind of deaths are not covered in term insurance?

Some important facts, which most of the people are unaware of, are that most companies exclude “Death due to Terrorist Attack”. Although such claims are settled on humanitarian grounds later on when the nominee approaches Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) but such exclusion is there in most companies. Other important fact, which public at large is unaware of, is that insurance companies do not cover death due to war or natural disaster like earthquake/tsunami. Because in these cases, death toll is high and the claim to be settled runs in crores of rupees which is difficult to settle by the company all of a sudden. Therefore, these facts should also be kept in mind while buying a term insurance.

Reference : http://www.jagoinvestor.com/2010/09/9-most-asked-questions-about-term-insurance.html


 7. High rejections with new-generaton Insurance Companies
The rejection ratio (rejected claims as a percentage of the total claims received and pending during the year) of some companies, especially those which started operations a few years ago, is alarmingly high.
Aegon Religare rejected 45% of the claims (see table). Future Generali, IDBI Federal and DLF Pramerica rejected one of every fifth claim raised. In comparison, LIC has a rejection ratio of 1.1% (see graphic).

Reference : http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-05-09/news/29520556_1_total-claims-aegon-religare-life-insurance

8. After a few years you will find out that in endowsments is like digging your mony underground.

It will loose its value fast and the so called bonuses are not worth even peanuts at the so called maturity date in the future

Ref : http://www.vinayahs.com/archives/2012/01/13/i-just-found-out-that-my-lic-jeevan-anand-policy-sucks-what-should-i-do-please-help/
Your relatives will have a difficult time providing all the documents in the time limit they prescribe

see the mail below from hdfc life when I enquired them about any policy my brother had. 

 

Greetings from HDFC Life!

This is with reference to your e-mail communication, we regret that we are unable to trace out the policy details from the information provided by you. We will be glad to assist you with your query. To do so, please write to us with the concerned policy number / Client ID alongwith the Year of Birth in order to assist you better.

 

The Claimant needs to intimate the company at any of our Branch office about the death/illness of Life Assured through an intimation letter. Alternatively he/she could fill in the death claim statement or critical illness/disability claim intimation form. The intimation should ideally contain:
Policy number/s.
Name of the Life Assured.
Date, Cause and place of death/ Diagnosis/ Disability.
For a death claim, intimation should be submitted alongwith the death certificate issued by the Municipal Corporation/Government and Original Policy Document.
For Critical Illness and Disability claim, intimation should be submitted alongwith the copies of Medical records.
The Company on receiving the intimation letter shall send a letter to the claimant with the list of documents required to process the claim along with the relevant claim forms.
Once the decision to accept the claim is taken, the company will send the discharge voucher to the claimant. The claimant should ideally submit the discharge voucher within 7 days from the date of receipt. He needs to return the duly filled & signed discharge voucher to the Branch. Advance Discharge Voucher is taken from the claimant, hence once there is acceptance of claim; cheque is sent to the claimant.
Terms and conditions:

1. All the requirements should be submitted at branch within 30 days from the receipt of the letter containing the list of documents. If possible the documents that are in vernacular language should be accompanied with the translation.

2. All Forms should be complete and all relevant questions needs to be answered.

3. The documents should be dated & signed by claimant and respective officials and it should be stamped wherever required.

4. A copy of Identification proof, Residence proof of the beneficiary & Death certificate needs to be verified in original on receipt of the claim documents and copies of these have to be sent to Claims for processing.

Document Check list:

1. Death Claim Form.

2. Original policy documents.

3. A Copy of Death Certificate issued by the Municipal Corporation/Government.

4. A Copy of Medical Certificate with the Cause of Death.

5. A Copy of Postmortem report, if carried out.

6. A Copy of Cremation or Burial Certificate.

7. A Copy of  all medical reports including admission notes, discharge summary, daily progress sheets, prescriptions, pathological reports and any other reports (This will include illness diagnosed in the past and at the time of death).

8. Doctors/Hospital Certificate.

9. Usual/Family Doctors Certificate.

10. Employer’s Certificate.

11. Legal Evidence of Title (In case there is no nominee).

Note: The Documents numbered 3 to 7 must be seen as original by our Branch Operations Officials.

Kindly visit our website www.hdfclife.com to know our branch addresses across India.

  How and when to approach the ombudsman
Do you think you've been short-changed by the insurance company? You can have your grievances redressed by the insurance ombudsman for policies with covers of up to Rs 20 lakh. Here's how to approach him:
1) If an insurance claim is rejected, write to the grievance cell of the insurer.
1) If the answer does not satisfy you or there is no response, write to the insurance ombudsman. There are 12 ombudsmen in the country.
3) This should be done within a year of the claim being rejected. Also, the matter should not be pending in any court, consumer forum or with an arbitrator.
4) Submit a written complaint either personally or by post to the ombudsman's office.
5) The ombudsman will examine your plea and then call both parties for a hearing. Within 30 days, he will send his recommendation on the matter to both parties.
6) Attach all relevant documents with the complaint. You also need to give a written consent to the ombudsman for acting as a mediator.
7) If the recommendation is acceptable to you, write within 15 days to the ombudsman, who will then pass an award within three months of the date of complaint.
8) The final award is binding on insurance companies, but you can approach a consumer forum or a civil court.
Ref : http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-05-09/news/29520556_1_total-claims-aegon-religare-life-insurance/3

Useful Provisions

1. “Married women’s property act”
As most of the people think that nominee gets the money always. We know that creditors gets the share first, remaining as per the WILL, if no WILL then it goes the legal heirs. Here the nominee just a person who entitled to receive the money but could NOT use them.
Since most of us won’t create WILL that easily while in good health, it is better to get the policy under “MWP act”, then the insured amount will goes to wife and Children ONLY(should also be a nominee). This I believe supersedes WILL , legal heirs and creditors. Even court cannot do anything on this insured amount (if it is under MWP act) . So even if the deceased person has 1 crore in debt and his insurance amount(under MWP act) is 5 crores, even court cannot do anything to settle the debt from this insured money. One catch is we have to ask for insurance under MWP act when we open the policy (during proposal stage). I have bad experience with Online policy where there is no option given about this act in their application form and once the policy is issued they are saying that they cannot modify it.