States asked to augment health infra by roping in private sector

NEW DELHI: In an attempt to augment the healthcare infrastructure, the Union Health Ministry on Monday asked states/uts to engage with the private healthcare providers to facilitate enhanced bed availability and critical care health facilities to COVID-19 patients.

The decision in this regard has been taken after reports of emerging shortage of healthcare infrastructure including hospitals with ICU beds, ventilators, oxygen supported beds etc, for management of COVID-19 patients surfaced. However, the states have also been told to ensure fair and transparent charges for services provided by the private healthcare centres for COVID19 treatment.

As per the Health Ministry's statement, some states have already taken initiative in this regard as they have reached an agreement with the private sector on reasonable rates and arrangements to provide critical care for in-patient admissions.

“The PMJAY package and CGHS package rates are already available with the states. The latter rates are fixed area wise,” it said.

In order to ensure that patients receive prompt, good quality and care at reasonable rates, states have been advised to have consultations with the local private healthcare providers and arrive at reasonable rates, while factoring in cost elements for personal safety equipments for healthcare providers, the Health Ministry said.

It has also been suggested that the rates, once fixed, must be widely publicised so that both the patients and service providers are fully aware and capacities are used optimally, the ministry said.

The Centre has also suggested states to consider pooling in public and private healthcare facilities to help in providing prompt and quality healthcare facilities to COVID19 patients at reasonable rate.