ಯಾರದೋ ದುಡ್ಡು, ಎಲ್ಲಮ್ಮನ ಜಾತ್ರೆ – How Hospitals Feast on Public Health Money

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🌿 Prologue

Hospitals are supposed to be places of healing. We walk in with pain, fear, and hope — trusting that the doctor’s advice is for our good. But what happens when treatment is no longer about healing, but about billing? What happens when every scan, every injection, every cut on the body is guided not by necessity but by profit?

Across India, poor families and honest government employees enter hospitals with government-backed health cards, thinking they are protected. Instead, many walk out weaker, poorer, and more broken than before. The money may come from “the government,” but the cost is extracted from human bodies, sleepless minds, lost time, and shattered families.

This is the real meaning of the old proverb: “ಯಾರದೋ ದುಡ್ಡು, ಎಲ್ಲಮ್ಮನ ಜಾತ್ರೆ” — someone else’s money becomes someone else’s feast.

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1. What this proverb means

"ಯಾರದೋ ದುಡ್ಡು, ಎಲ್ಲಮ್ಮನ ಜಾತ್ರೆ" means:

One person spends, another person enjoys the feast.

Today, this proverb fits perfectly on how private hospitals misuse government health insurance and reimbursement money.

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2. How the system works

Poor families in India get government health insurance. If someone falls sick, the hospital bills are paid directly by the government.

Government employees get medical reimbursement — they spend first, and the government pays them back.

On paper, this looks like a blessing. In reality, it has opened the door for private hospitals to loot in the name of treatment.

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3. The tricks hospitals play

Published reports and investigations across India have shown shocking patterns:

Unnecessary surgeries – performed only to claim money.

Fake or inflated bills – showing medicines, tests, and operations that never happened.

Repeated diagnostics – same tests done again and again only to increase the bill.

Collusion with pharmacies – overcharging medicines and consumables.

Every rupee is shown as “treatment”, but often the patient never needed it.

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4. The common “money-making” procedures

Here are the types of treatments, tests, and surgeries most often reported or suspected to be pushed unnecessarily:

Maternity & Women’s Care

Caesarean deliveries (C-sections) without medical need

Hysterectomies (removal of uterus) in young women

Unnecessary fertility-related procedures

Cardiac (Heart)

Angiograms and angioplasties (stents)

Bypass surgeries

Pacemaker implants

Orthopaedics (Bones & Joints)

Knee and hip replacements

Spinal surgeries

Arthroscopies

Kidney & Urology

Dialysis cycles repeated even when avoidable

Stent placements in urinary tract

Kidney stone surgeries

Eye Care

Cataract surgeries in both eyes, even when not needed

LASIK and lens implants under “vision correction”

Cancer

Chemotherapy cycles extended without justification

Unnecessary PET/CT scans

Radiation sessions beyond prescribed limits

Diagnostics & Scans

MRI, CT scans, X-rays done multiple times

Expensive blood tests and “panels” repeated without reason

Other Surgeries & Treatments

Gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy)

Appendectomy (appendix removal)

Tonsillectomy in children

Cosmetic-type procedures disguised as medical needs

Excessive physiotherapy billed in rehabilitation

👉 These are not rare cases — across states, audits and news reports have exposed exactly these kinds of unnecessary treatments being used to drain government funds.

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5. Who really pays the price

Yes, the government pays the hospitals. But the real victims are ordinary people:

The body pays – unnecessary surgeries leave scars, side effects, long-term health problems.

The mind pays – fear, confusion, loss of trust in doctors and hospitals.

The time pays – endless hospital visits, unnecessary admissions, repeated tests.

The money pays – even though insurance covers some costs, families still spend on travel, food, lost wages, medicines outside the package.

Worst of all: instead of becoming healthier, many are pushed deeper into poverty and ill-health.

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6. Real examples from across India

Investigations found over 3 lakh fake or fraudulent cases under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, including tens of thousands of unnecessary surgeries.

In Rajasthan, one cardholder’s name was used to claim over ₹26 lakh with fake hospital bills.

During COVID-19 in Haryana, hospitals charged above MRP for medicines and added useless tests to inflate bills.

Across states, private hospitals push unnecessary C-sections, costing families and the government far more than natural deliveries.

Each of these is nothing but "ಯಾರದೋ ದುಡ್ಡು, ಎಲ್ಲಮ್ಮನ ಜಾತ್ರೆ."

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7. Why this matters to you

Whenever you or someone in your family goes to a hospital under government insurance, remember:

The money may not be “yours” directly, but it is public money collected from everyone’s taxes.

The hospital’s profit is not free — it is built on your body, your time, your fear, and your poverty.

Every unnecessary surgery, every false test, every inflated bill adds to your suffering.

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8. The bigger picture

Schemes that were meant to protect poor people and government employees are now feeding a medical market where the patient is not a human being but a “package” to be billed.

The proverb is no longer just about a village fair. It has become the daily truth of India’s health system:

👉 The poor suffer in body and soul, while hospitals celebrate a feast with public money.

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🌙 Epilogue

In the end, the tragedy is not only about money lost to fraud or schemes twisted for profit. The deeper tragedy is how trust is stolen — the trust that a hospital will heal, that a doctor will guide honestly, that public schemes will protect the poor.

When hospitals turn people into “packages” and suffering into “business opportunities,” society itself becomes weaker. The poorest carry scars they did not need, the middle-class loses faith, and the government treasury bleeds quietly.

The feast goes on in shining hospital lobbies, but the cost is carried by invisible millions who are left with pain, fear, and poverty. And so the proverb lives on — “ಯಾರದೋ ದುಡ್ಡು, ಎಲ್ಲಮ್ಮನ ಜಾತ್ರೆ.”

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Dialogue: Public Money, Private Feast

Scene: A small community hall in a town. A group of families have gathered after hearing about repeated stories of hospital misuse. Dr. Madhukar Dama is sitting with them in an open circle.

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Part 1: The Pain Comes Out

Ramesh (a daily wage worker):

Doctor, my wife was told she must have a C-section. We had no choice. The baby is fine, but she still suffers pain after two years. We later heard it was unnecessary. How do we even know the truth?

Dr. Madhukar:

Ramesh, your pain is the pain of thousands. Hospitals push C-sections because they fetch more money, are quicker to schedule, and fit neatly into insurance packages. The truth is — in most cases, nature knows how to deliver. Unless there is a clear emergency, a natural birth is safer for both mother and child.

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Savita (schoolteacher, government employee):

Sir, in my father’s case, doctors pushed for an angioplasty. Later another doctor said medicines would have been enough. We spent so much time and energy. How can we stop being tricked like this?

Dr. Madhukar:

Savita, angioplasty and bypass surgeries are among the most abused procedures. Heart stents, once inside, mean lifelong medicine and dependence. What you can do:

1. Always demand the angiography film or CD.

2. Take it to another independent cardiologist.

3. Ask: “Is there a life-threatening blockage, or can lifestyle and medicines control it?”

Most often, multiple opinions expose the truth.

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Shanta (a widow from a nearby village):

Doctor, my uterus was removed when I was 38. They said “infection risk.” Later I learned many women in my village had the same operation. Why do they do this?

Dr. Madhukar:

Shanta, unnecessary hysterectomies are a dark business. For many hospitals, the uterus became a money-making target. They convince women with fear — cancer, infection, infertility — but in truth, most cases need only medicine or rest. This is why community knowledge is important: if many women in the same area get the same surgery, it’s a red flag.

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Part 2: How to Spot the Tricks

Dr. Madhukar (addressing the group):

Here are the warning signs that a hospital or doctor is turning you into a “package”:

They rush you to decide on surgery without explaining alternatives.

They show test reports but don’t give you copies.

They repeat expensive scans unnecessarily.

They refuse when you ask for a second opinion.

They use fear-language: “If you don’t do this now, you will die.”

Whenever you hear these words, pause. Ask questions. Walk away if needed.

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Part 3: Taking Control of Health

Anil (a young college student):

Sir, but what do we do instead? If we avoid hospitals, aren’t we risking our health?

Dr. Madhukar:

Anil, hospitals are needed in emergencies. But for 70–80% of problems, the body heals if we give it the right support. Here’s how to take control:

1. Daily Practices:

Eat clean, home-cooked food.

Avoid junk and packet foods.

Sleep well, rise early. Go for excercise daily and aim for sweating.

Weekly castor oil bath to cleanse body heat.

Daily Sanjeevini oil intake (5ml morning & evening) to build immunity.

2. Traditional Remedies First:

Tulsi, ginger, turmeric for infections.

Castor oil for digestion and body pain.

Warm steam inhalation for colds.

Rest and hydration for fevers.

3. Multiple Opinions:

For any costly surgery, take at least two independent medical opinions.

Prefer government hospitals for a neutral view.

Involve trusted family members in decisions.

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Part 4: The Victims Reflect

Ramesh:

Doctor, if I had known this earlier, my wife’s suffering could have been avoided.

Savita:

We always thought “big hospital = best care.” Now I see “big hospital = big package.”

Shanta:

If only we women had spoken to each other before surgery, we could have seen the pattern.

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Part 5: The Closing Words

Dr. Madhukar (looking around the hall):

My friends, remember this: You are not helpless.

Your body is intelligent.

Your traditions hold wisdom.

Your community can share truth.

Hospitals should be your last choice, not your first. Use them for emergencies, but for most issues, take responsibility for your own health. Do not give your body away blindly.

The proverb is old, but it speaks to today:

👉 “ಯಾರದೋ ದುಡ್ಡು, ಎಲ್ಲಮ್ಮನ ಜಾತ್ರೆ.”

Public money is eaten as a feast. But your body, mind, time, and poverty are the real cost.

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✨ The hall falls silent, but with a new strength. Victims turn into learners, and awareness spreads like a slow-burning fire — a fire that hospitals cannot control.

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