Health minister of Punjab urged private hospital managements to rise to the occasion and come forward with a rational and reasonable cost
Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said the state government will soon rationalise the cost of treatment of COVID-19 patients at private facilities in the state and make it affordable.
He urged private hospital managements to rise to the occasion and come forward with a rational and reasonable cost of treatment for coronavirus-afflicted patients.
“This is an unforeseen and unprecedented situation and everyone, including private hospital managements and promoters, owe a responsibility towards the society,” he said.
The state health minister hoped private hospitals will not charge COVID-19 patients exorbitantly as has been reported widely in the news media.
In a statement, he said the government has no intention to make private hospitals suffer any losses, but at the same time it cannot allow the “loot of helpless patients by slapping them bills to the tune of lakhs of rupees for a few days of stay in the hospital.”
Hoping that the private hospitals will cooperate with the government in this regard, Sidhu said the final decision on fixing the price will be taken in a day or two.
The minister referred to a recent announcement by Sri Guru Ram Das Charitable Hospital Trust, Amritsar, whereby it fixed at Rs 50,000 the rate for a seven-day package for twin sharing AC rooms for COVID-19 treatment, while for non-AC rooms it is Rs 35,000 and ventilator charge if needed, is Rs 6000 per day.
Compared to this, some private hospitals were charging as much as Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 per day and this is unacceptable, he said.
“If one hospital can provide treatment at Rs 50,000 for a week, how can another hospital charge Rs 30,000 for a day?” the health minister posed.