Rate of beds in Delhi pvt hospitals cut by two-thirds

In a key move that will provide substantial relief to coronavirus patients in Delhi, the Union home ministry has decided to reduce the rate of beds in isolation wards and intensive care units in private hospitals in the city by almost twothirds after the recommendations of an expert committee.

The expert committee suggested a rate of `8,000-10,000 for an isolation bed, `13,00015,000 for an ICU bed and `15,000-18,000 for a bed with a ventilator.

These will also include the cost of PPE kits.

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New Delhi, June 19: The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Centre and States to set up expert panel for effective monitoring, supervision, and guidance of government and COVID dedicated hospitals for providing proper health care to the patients.

The apex court also directed the Union government to bring uniformity in charges of testing and other facilities and ordered it to constitute an expert committee of senior doctors of Central government hospitals, GNCTD run hospitals, AIIMS and responsible officer from Union health ministry.

A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, S.K. Kaul and M.R. Shah, which took up the matter for hearing through video conferencing, issued slew of directions in the case taken suo motu cognizance on the proper treatment of Covid-19 patients and dignified handling of dead bodies in the hospitals.

It said that the expert committee shall inspect, supervise and issue necessary directions to all government hospitals, Covid hospitals and other hospitals in NCT of Delhi taking care of

Covid patients and the panel shall ensure that at least one visit in each hospital be done weekly.

“The team may in addition to normal inspection shall also conduct surprise visits to assess the preparedness of the hospitals. The expert team as indicated after visiting may issue necessary instructions for improvement to the hospital concerned and also forward its report to the Government of NCT of Delhi and the Union of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,” the bench said in its 17-page order.