The Maharashtra government on Friday directed district and civic authorities to form flying squads to inspect if private hospitals are overcharging COVID-19 patients, and following the State’s directives on ensuring the availability of beds.
Health Minister Rajesh Tope has directed all district collectors, municipal commissioners and divisional commissioners to submit inspection reports within three days.
Mr. Tope said, “The State government has issued timely directives to stop private hospitals from overcharging and ensure beds are available for patients. There are complaints that such malpractices continue. Therefore, we have directed all district collectors, municipal commissioners and divisional commissioners to form flying squads to monitor private hospitals.”
The minister said the flying squads should check if private hospitals have displayed the State government’s orders at their main gates. He also said that a special mechanism has to be established to check the final bill amount issued by private hospitals to COVID-19 patients and to audit the rates charged by private ambulance services.
Mr. Thackeray on Friday directed the State administration to concentrate on contact tracing and preventing a second wave of COVID-19. Luv Agrawal, joint secretary, Union Health Ministry, had also attended the virtual meeting on special invitation. Mr. Agrawal directed the State government to conduct RT-PCR tests and not to rely only on antigen tests.
Mr Agrawal said the primary task is to lower the case fatality rate. “Health workers in Maharashtra have a bigger percentage of infection than the rest of the country. Senior citizens avoid getting admitted to hospitals and do so only after their health condition becomes critical. It increases the death rate,” he said, adding that 80% contacts of patients need to be traced within 72 hours.
He said if Maharashtra takes adequate measures, it can set an example in the fight against COVID-19.