Govt orders 2,000 more Covid beds at 22 private hospitals

EMPANELLED PVT HOSPS ‘REFUSING ADMISSION’ TO DGEHS BENEFICIARIES

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government late on Tuesday night issued orders to increase the capacity of COVID-19 beds at 22 private hospitals across the Capital thereby adding over 2,000 new beds, a day after L-G Anil Baijal revoked the Delhi Cabinet’s decision to reserve all COVID-19 treatment at Delhi government and private hospitals for Delhiites.

In a sign that the Delhi government is taking the Delhi Disaster Management Authority’s decision to revoke its order in stride, the Health and Family Welfare Department of the Arvind Kejriwal government has started preparing for increased COVID-19 patients who will now comprise of anyone in Delhi irrespective of their residency by increasing the number of beds reserved for COVID-19 patients at these 22 hospitals to more than the 20 per cent it had earlier mandated.

With this direction, the total number of COVID-19 beds in these private hospitals has been increased by 2,015. Earlier these beds could accommodate 1,441 COVID-19 patients but now that capacity has been increased to 3,456 COVID-19 beds.

The order issued by Principal Secretary, Health, Vikram Dev Dutt said that “these hospitals are directed to admit Covid-19 patients as per revised allocation of beds and update on Delhi corona app immediately”.

The private hospitals include Apollo, Batra, Fortis, BLK, Max, Holy Family, Mata Chanan Devi, and Action Hospitals.

Meanwhile, 500 additional beds in other government hospitals have been also earmarked for Covid patients. IAS officers have been posted as Administrative Officers in Covid hospitals and help desks, manned by government officials, have been set up in all the government hospitals to facilitate the admission process.

Meanwhile, authorities of the Delhi heath department on Tuesday said it has been brought to their notice that some of the Dgehs-empanelled private hospitals are allegedly denying admission to beneficiaries who are either positive or suspected cases of COVID-19, unless they deposit a “hefty amount”.

Taking note of the matter, the Directorate General of Heath Services of the Delhi government has reiterated that empanelled hospitals should adhere to all the terms of the agreement and provide treatment for all ailments, including COVID-19.

The DGHS had last month issued an order to reserve 20 per cent beds for COVID-19 patients in nursing homes and private hospitals which have a strength of 50 or more beds.

The DGHS in its order on Tuesday said it has come to its notice that some of the private hospitals who have been authorised to treat COVID-19 patients, are “refusing admission and treatment of DGEHS beneficiaries who are suspected or confirmed cases of COVID19, unless they deposit a hefty amount prior to admission”, .

It said, Delhi Government Employees Health Scheme (DGEHS) beneficiaries are being charged “as per normal rates” instead of the Dgehs-approved rates, and pensioner beneficiaries are being “denied entitled cashless treatment”. Denying admission to the beneficiaries causes unnecessary delay in treatment and harassment, it added.