Low rates worry pvt hosps
State move to get private hospitals under AB scheme gets mixed results
The sudden decision of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao to convert 400-odd private hospitals which are under Aarogyasri in the state into Ayushman Bharat scheme on Tuesday caught many of them by surprise.
Though there were speculations over the state government implementing the Central health scheme, private hospitals are a worried lot as prescribed rates of treatment and other facilities under Ayushman Bharat are far too low. Private hospital managements feel that it will be a challenge for them to treat patients under this scheme.
As the Covid-19 is also covered by the scheme, the hospitals empanelled for treating Covid-19 feel that it will not be possible for them as rates fixed are very low.
A senior member of Telangana Super-speciality Hospitals Association, on condition of anonymity, says, “The treatment rates as per the scheme are impractical and less than 50 per cent of the actual cost. We cannot treat patients at this rate. We will have an internal meeting and then meet the Aarogyasri Care Trust for revision of the rates.”
Hospitals offering treatment for Covid-19 are anticipating patients once the guidelines are finalised. They want to put in their requests for revision before the guidelines are finalised as it would be difficult for them to handle the situation. The rates under Ayushman Bharat for Covid 19 patients are `4,000 for regular beds, `7,000 for oxygen support and `9,000 for ventilator or intensive care unit beds per day.
Dr V. Rakesh of Telangana Aarogyasri Network Hospitals Association says, “t is a challenge for us as in these times as manpower cost to monitor patients is very high. Nurses are not working for less than ` 45,000 per month, duty doctors `60,000 per month and administration staff are willing to work only if incentivised. To add to it, every medical equipment is costing 10 times more. Those items which were available for `40 in the market are now available at `4,000. How can the treatment be carried out in this situation?”
Multiple factors are making it difficult for Covid-19 hospitals to function smoothly, said some senior doctors. To add to this is the pending amount under the Aarogyasri scheme. The total amount pending from November 2020 is `500 crore. Dr Kishan Rao, president of Telangana Hospital and Nursing Homes Association (THANA) says, “Forty per cent of the amount will be funded by the Centre and 40 per cent by the state government. We wanted the Ayushman scheme to be implemented as in Anhra Pradesh as it has been noted that the reimbursements are faster. The same is expected here too.”
Different associations under THANA are to meet soon to take this forward both in terms of treating patients and also getting their pending dues cleared.