Three days after the Telangana government issued an order capping prices that can be charged to treat COVID-19 patients at corporate hospitals, heads of around four super speciality hospitals located in the city met Health Minister Eatala Rajender on Thursday to inform him that the rates were not viable for them. However, Mr Rajender asked them to provide treatment in ICU at rates fixed by the government.
He reiterated government’s direction not to admit patients without symptoms and send them to home isolation.
According to the State government’s order issued on Monday, the charges for COVID-19 treatment at private hospitals range between ₹4,000 and ₹9,000 depending on the ward and if mechanical ventilator support is provided.
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If a COVID patient is admitted in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) without mechanical ventilator support, the price is capped at ₹7,500 per day, and it is ₹9,000 per day if ventilator support too is provided in ICU.
A few services such as Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), high-end investigations such as CT-Scan, are excluded from capped charges.
Head of a corporate hospital requesting anonymity said that they could operate on ‘no profit-no loss’ basis if the charges for treatment in ICU along with ventilator support were increased to ₹15,000 to ₹20,000 a day.
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“The current rates are not viable for us. The cost for work force, sanitisation, and other overhead costs are not included in it,” the corporate hospital head said.
Regarding the charges for PPE, medicines, the Health Minister said that the rate should be as per government’s rules. The hospital heads also took to his notice pending bills under Aarogyasri Health Scheme. Mr Rajender promised to clear it soon.