Delhi Man Pays Rs 2,300 For Senior Doctor At Apollo Hospital, Gets Consultation With Assistant Instead

An X user expressed his outrage and disappointment after a recent visit to Apollo Hospital in Sarita Vihar, describing his experience as "absolutely disgusting". As per his post on X, Delhi-based Gajender Yadav had scheduled an appointment with a senior doctor but was instead attended to by the doctor's assistant. Further, the senior doctor made a brief appearance, discussed his case with the assistant, provided instructions, and then promptly left, leaving him feeling frustrated and disrespected.

"Paid Rs 2300 consultation fees at Apollo Hospital Sarita Vihar for consultation with senior doctor. The assistant came and discussed the case for 10-15 mins. The senior doctor came later. Discussed things with his assistant. Meanwhile, his assistant suggested what to do or what not. Where is the expertise/suggestions/experience of senior doctor?" he wrote on X.

See the tweet here:

Paid Rs 2300 consultation fees at @HospitalsApollo Sarita Vihar for consultation with Senior Doctor. Assistant came and discussed the case for 10-15 mins. Senior Doctor came later. Discussed things with his Assistant. Meanwhile his Assistant suggested what to do or what…

— Gajender Yadav (@imYadav31) February 2, 2025

"What kind of behavior is this @HospitalsApollo ??Who will inform us that consultation fee is charged for consultation with Assistant and not the Senior Doctor. We took prior appointment for consultation with Senior Doctor. Absolutely disgusting," he added. 

His post has left social media users divided, with many justifying it. He expressed his confusion, stating that he had paid for a diagnosis by a senior doctor, only to be attended to by the doctor's assistant. He also proposed running a separate Outpatient Department (OPD) for assistants to gain experience and learn, rather than involving them in private consultations. 

Meanwhile, many users also supported him and commented that this is a common practice among many senior doctors at large hospitals.

One user wrote, "That's how it is the case with most of the senior doctors in big hospitals. Experienced the same with Max Saket. Juniors do a detailed case study and present the case to senior doctors. Senior reviews discussed gaps with them, but still owns the medication. On the job learning is critical for junior doctors. Didn't see a problem in the approach. Collective consultation is better, theoretically."

Another added, "Essentially Junior Doctor is doing the Job with a bit of review from senior doctor, not fair for the patient. If additional fee is being paid, senior doctor should be directly involved. On the job learning can be still done in differ manner."

A third said, "Have experienced this a couple of times with certain doctors who have high reputation/years of working in AIIMS etc, team of juniors talk to you, then senior doctor comes, a few nods, you do not know what is happening. Within seconds you are escorted out. We changed the doctor."

After the post went viral, Apollo Hospitals issued a statement. 

"At Apollo Hospitals, we follow a team-based approach to ensure every patient receives comprehensive and high-quality medical care. Every patient is seen by a qualified doctor who is part of the medical team, ensuring thorough evaluations and expert guidance. Our senior doctors work closely with their teams, which include trained medical professionals & junior doctors assisting in the consultation process under their supervision. This structured approach allows for efficient and seamless patient care. In this case, the patient was not seen by an “assistant” but a qualified super-specialist who is part of the senior doctors' team. 

The patient and the family was met with by the senior leadership at Apollo Hospitals. Our protocol and approach was satisfactorily explained in detail to them. We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of medical excellence and ensuring a trusted experience for all our patients.''