Fraudsters penetrate crowdfunding space

Mumbai: In what can be termed as a rude shocker whereby the health and medical sector is being squeezed dry, and the sentiments of people staring at tragedies are being played around with, fraudsters have bulldozed their way into the crowdfunding space in the most inhuman manner. It makes for a spine-chilling development that although millions are being raised through crowdfunding to meet expensive surgery costs for poor and hopelessly lost patients, a bulk of the funds raised are going into the pockets of vested interests. The shrewd operation is such that amounts raised are grossly in excess of what is needed for the cause.

Apparently, the dubious game-plan is to take advantage of the gullible Good Samaritans, who seldom check the SOS details as the 'requests are originating in popular crowdfunding websites'. As for the racketeers, they are laughing all the way to the bank.

The magnitude of the scandal has been so enormous that unless steps are taken to contain it on a priority basis, crowdfunding as a humanitarian gesture will become an object of ridicule as people may lose faith in its very functioning while the really needy people may lose out on getting timely succour.

Crowdfunding is usually done to raise funds for medical emergencies or to come to the rescue of genuinely deserving people, who have lost all survival hopes. The internet and online payment systems have made crowdfunding a useful avenue for NGOs to raise funds. In India, websites like Ketto and Milaap have earned popularity as specialists in crowdfunding. They have helped thousands of people in their hour of need.

However, in a shocking expose, noted cardiac surgeon from Mumbai Dr Prashant Mishra posted a long Twitter thread (with images to substantiate his point) on the countless people, ostensibly in league with 'certain' hospital insiders, were raising funds that were far in excess of the cost of treatment or surgery.

As a practicing doctor, he points out that in many cases, surgeries for which funds were raised were either simple processes or those being conducted free of cost in big hospitals. When it comes to 'supporting' patients in private hospitals, these nefarious characters are raising funds that are three to four times more than the total cost of surgery.

Citing an instance, Dr Mishra shared a letter uploaded on Milaap to raise money for surgery. He says, "Same surgery in the same city and in a reputed hospital costs around Rs 2.25 lakh. Here the fund requirement was put at Rs 6.5 lakh."

Giving a graphic touch to the bizarre daylight robbery, he says, "Just imagine that (according to sources) this estimate letter is given by a homoeopathic doctor. Is it not legally binding on Milaap (and the likes) to procure a letter from an operating surgeon before going about their crowdfunding initiative?" In another tweet, Dr Mishra talks about fundraising in the name of renal transplant by someone who had already raised Rs 22 lakh for removal of kidney stones. He says, "I have no idea about how much this operation costs. I have heard that renal transplant costs anything between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 15 lakh. However, just for the sake of kidney stone operation, an amount of Rs 10 lakh was the projected demand and the amount that was eventually raised was a whopping Rs 22 lakh."

The cardiac surgeon has also sounded alarm bells with regard to exorbitant amounts collected in the name of gall bladder removal surgery.

He says, "Now-a-days, liver transplant can be done in the Rs 25 lakh–Rs 35 lakh range. Although the demand for money was around Rs two lakh for something related to gall bladder surgery, the funds that were raised touched a staggering Rs 33 lakh. The fact of the matter is that gall bladder removal can't cost more than Rs 2.50 lakh at the maximum."

In a letter, issued to Milaap dated March 10 of this year, a Mumbai-based private hospital, says, "It is to certify that a one year and 10-month old girl is suffering from Large VSD with severe IR with PH with Medical Management. She needs to undergo ICR of VCD Closure with Tricuspid valve repair SOS RV-PA Conduit, which will cost Rs 6.5 lakh."

Replying to a query by Dr Mishra, Milaap says, "As an ethical practice, Milaap uses its best efforts to verify the genuineness of every case by reaching out to the patient and the individual's family. It also validates the estimate in good faith if it is signed and stamped by the doctor attending on the patient."

And that is precisely why all medical estimates are attached to fundraising initiatives and are visible to bother the doctors and the general public.

Dr Prashant Mishra, a Mumbai-based cardiac surgeon, posted a long Twitter thread with images about how many people, perhaps in league with hospitals, were raising funds that were far in excess of the cost of treatment or surgery. The surgeries, for which funds were raised, were either simple or being conducted free in large hospitals. As per a letter uploaded on Milaap, the target was to raise Rs 6.5 lakh for a surgery which doesn't cost more than Rs2.25 lakh in any reputed hospital