Pvt hospitals overcharging Covid patients, WG hosp loses permit

The state government must strengthen its monitoring mechanism to regulate overcharging of Coronavirus-infected patients at the designated private Covid-19 hospitals.

This aspect came to light after West Godavari district medical and health officer Dr K.M. Sunanda on Tuesday issued orders seizing a private hospital at Bhimavaram for overcharging Covid-19 patients while providing treatment under YSR Arogyasri scheme. Doctors say this might only be the tip of the iceberg, wherein many hospitals are charging patients more than the unauthorised.

Certain senior state health officials are of the opinion that though the government has efficiently taken up Covid-19 management in government hospitals and government designated Covid-19 hospitals, lack of proper monitoring system is reflecting negatively on the government.

They point out that though the state government has fixed rates to be charged from Coronavirus-infected

patients getting treated at private hospitals on their own as well as under YSR Arogyasri scheme, with no proper monitoring mechanism, patients are being charged excessively on one pretext or other, causing a severe financial burden on patients and their family members.

Health officials say some private hospitals are charging patients heavily for allotment of bed, supplying oxygen, fixing ventilator, or giving life-saving injections beyond a limit. As a result, a lot of patients and their family members are unhappy and are even blaming the government for failing to curb such illegal practices.

A senior official said this is bringing a bad name to the state government. Appointing a monitoring agency can curb these practices, he remarked. Another official said, “Though the state government is recruiting additional personnel to treat Covid-19 patients, not monitoring the performance of new staff is resulting deficient services, whether at government or government-designated hospitals handling Covid-19 patients.