Pristyn Care gets accused of medical negligence

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Editor's note: The first question they ask is whether you are covered by insurance. An answer in the affirmative makes them happy. If you are on a call, you can hear it in their voice. If you are in the room, like I am, you’ll see it on their face.  In a small clinic in south-central Mumbai, a surgeon is going through a snapshot of a prescription on my phone. It is a two-month-old prescription that advises laser surgery for a family member suffering from haemorrhoids. The clinic goes by the name Health on Call Diagnostic Centre, but the outpatient department room we are sitting in belongs to healthtech startup Pristyn Care.  The free consultation lasts just about five minutes and I am on my way out, having been asked to wait for a call from a Pristyn Care agent who will explain and arrange the surgical procedure.  I thought about all the red flags on my way back. The doctor didn’t ask to meet the patient, my 60-year-old relative’s medical history was not discussed, no pre-operative health inquiries were made, the …