DeputyCommissioner Ghanshyam Thori today said that to check profiteering by theprivate hospitals the Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh led stategovernment has fixed their Covid-19 treatment rates.
Divulgingthe details, the deputy commissioner said that as per orders issued by thedepartment of health and family welfare, all private hospitals, nursing homes,diagnostic labs, etc. cannot charge the fees exceeding that of fixed by thegovernment for various Covid-19 treatments and tests.
TheDC stated that the private laboratories in the district can charge a maximum ofRs. 900 (including GST) for the RT-PCR test while an amount of Rs. 2000 hasbeen fixed for the CT Scans/HRCT chest. He further directed all thelaboratories not to declare a person Covid-19 positive or negative based ontheir CT scan reports unless they undergo the necessary RT-PCR test.
Mr.Thori mentioned that all the private hospitals and laboratories shall submittheir data regarding Covid-19 treatment and tests with the Civil Surgeon officeregularly and asked the civil surgeon to ensure implementation of thegovernment's orders in letter and spirit.
ForModerate Sickness requiring Isolation Beds, including supportive care andoxygen, the rates per day of admission are fixed at Rs 10,000 for all PrivateMedical Colleges / Private Institutes with a teaching program, Rs 9000 for NABHaccredited Hospitals (Including Private Medical Colleges without PG/DNB Course)and Rs. 8000 for Non- NABH accredited Hospitals, Mr. Thori added.
Thedeputy commissioner further reveals that the rates for the categories of SevereSickness (ICU without need for ventilator) have been capped, respectively, atRs. 15,000, Rs. 14,000 and Rs. 13,000, while for Very Severe or Criticalsickness; these are fixed at Rs. 18,000, Rs. 16,500 and Rs. 15,000respectively. All these rates are inclusive of PPE cost, according to ordersissued by the government, said the DC.
Further,to encourage private hospitals to cater to Mild Sickness cases also, thegovernment has also fixed per day admission rates for such cases at Rs. 6,500,Rs. 5,500 and Rs. 4,500 respectively adding he said that for special isolationrooms the patients may be charged maximum per day per patient Rs. 4000.
DeputyCommissioner Ghanshyam Thori has asked all the private healthcareestablishments in the district to strictly adhere to these guidelines of thestate government as any kind of complaint regarding overcharging would be dealtwith a heavy hand.
Heasked the Civil Surgeon, Dr. Balwant Singh, to conduct inspections in theprivate hospitals and labs to ensure that only capped prices were charged fromthe patients besides reporting of the cases where overcharging was found.