Delhi Government instructs Private Hospitals to exhibit COVID treatment rate list

Reacting to reports that some private hospitals are asking patients to pay arbitrary Covid-19 treatment charges, the Delhi government has directed all private hospitals treating such patients to display the full rate list of services, including various lab tests, isolation beds and beds with ventilators, at prominent places on the hospital premises.

All nursing homes and private hospitals in Delhi with bed strength of 50 or more have been told to reserve at least 20% of beds for treatment of corona patients. The state government has already said 11 private hospitals will treat such patients.

Govt order aims to curb ‘black-marketing of beds’

An official said the latest order was issued after the authorities received reports that some private hospitals were indulging in charging arbitrary fees for treatment, beds and other services that inconvenienced Covid-19 patients.

The government has also opened a 24x7 helpdesk at all hospitals to ensure admission of such patients. It has deployed a senior nursing officer at all private and government hospitals to ensure that the Centre’s treatment protocols are followed.

While most of the private hospitals have been ethical in charging the patients for Covid treatment, some have not been, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal recently said. In a media conference, the CM said a person had informed him that he was denied a bed by a private hospital, and after many requests, they charged him Rs 2 lakh for admission. “On a live TV programme aired a few days ago, an anchor called up a hospital saying that he needs a bed for a corona-positive patient in his family. First, he was denied the availability of the bed, and later he was told to deposit Rs 8 lakh for admission,” Kejriwal said, calling it black-marketing of Covid beds.

(Source: The Economic Times)