Private hospitals in the city that are allocating isolation beds for COVID-19 patients will have to limit their charges per bed to ₹4,000. Municipal Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi has said that the hospitals should charge 50% less than their usual charges per bed, or ₹4,000, whichever amount is lower.
Nine private hospitals will set aside nearly 100 isolation beds for patients who can afford to pay for the facilities.
Additionally, in a special arrangement, the HN Reliance Hospital and Jaslok Hospital will manage 125 isolation beds at the Seven Hills Hospital in Marol, which has been designated a quarantine facility by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Staffing options
The BMC has appointed physician Dr. Gautam Bhansali to take charge of staffing for the isolation beds at Seven Hills Hospital. “Because of the lockdown, elective work in hospitals and nursing homes has reduced a bit. I am trying to mobilise the manpower from various such hospitals and nursing homes who are willing to do the work,” Dr. Bhansali said.
He said he has a list of 40 doctors and 50 nurses so far. “Given that it is a health emergency, many doctors are volunteering to offer their services,” he said.
Within their own premises, Jaslok and Fortis hospitals have already set aside their beds, while others are in the process of doing so. Civic executive health officer Dr. Padmaja Keskar said, “Patients who have the paying capability can go to private hospitals. The hospitals will have to collect the swab samples and send them to the Kasturba Hospital for testing.”
Meanwhile, Bandra’s Lilavati Hospital has expressed willingness to convert a vacant BMC building into an isolation facility with 30 beds. Mr. Pardeshi has directed that the building be handed over to the hospital administration.
Testing at KEM Hospital
Meanwhile, Parel’s KEM Hospital started testing suspected COVID-19 samples on Thursday. It tested 25 samples on the first day and has been equipped to test 150 samples a day.
Besides, six private labs have been asked to procure test kits from approved sources. Mr. Pardeshi has requested them to charge the least possible amount for the tests. The private laboratories have been asked to focus on asymptomatic people who have a travel history that might have resulted in a novel coronavirus infection.
