An 81-year-old ENT surgeon in Ahmedabad has adopted an unusual approach to medical consultations by allowing patients to pay fees according to their monthly income, with those earning nothing paying nothing.
Dr Nandlal Manseta, who has been practising medicine for decades, reportedly asks patients about their monthly earnings before deciding the consultation fee. The approach is intended to ensure that financial difficulties do not prevent people from seeking medical care. The Indian Express report
Patients pay according to what they earn
According to the report, Dr Manseta follows an income-linked fee system rather than charging every patient the same amount.
Patients with little or no income can receive consultations without paying a fee, while those with higher earnings contribute accordingly. The system is based on trust, with patients expected to honestly disclose their financial circumstances.
The doctor’s approach has attracted attention because conventional medical consultations generally involve a fixed fee regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.
A different approach to healthcare
Dr Manseta’s practice reflects the idea that access to healthcare should not depend entirely on a person’s financial circumstances.
The Ahmedabad doctor has continued working at the age of 81, and his fee system has become an example of how individual healthcare providers can adopt flexible approaches for patients from different economic backgrounds.
The story has resonated with many people because it places affordability and compassion at the centre of a routine doctor-patient interaction.
While income-based consultation fees are not a standard model across healthcare facilities, the practice demonstrates one way of making medical consultations more accessible to people who may otherwise hesitate to seek treatment because of cost.