Covid treatment cost may come down at pvt hospitals

Panel set up by home ministry recommends lowering cost of isolation beds, PPE

In an important move that would provide substantial relief to corona patients in the national capital, Home Ministry has decided to reduce the rates of beds in isolation wards and Intensitve Care Units (ICU) beds in private hospitals by almost two thirds following the recommendation made by an expert committee. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Friday visited the Delhi government under construction hospital in Burari to take stock of the preparations and later on chief minister said that 450 beds of total 700 beds in the hospital will be reserved for Corona patients.

The committee has suggested a rate of Rs 800010000 for an isolation bed, `13,000-15,000 for a bed in the ICU and `15,000-18,000 for bed with ventilator. These areas would also include the price of the PPE kits as well. As of now the privates hospitals are on average said to be charging `24,000-25,000 for isolation ward, 34,00043,000 for ICU and 44,00054,000, excluding PPE cost, for beds with ventilators.

Home minister Amit Shah had constituted a committee headed by Dr V.K. Paul, a member of the NITI Aayog, to finalise

rates for treatment corona patients at private hospitals. Home Ministry has already announced a decision to reserve 60 per cent bed in private hospitals for corona patients and these would be offered at new rates that have been announced on Friday.

Mr Shah has held a series of meetings over the last few days to review the corona situation in the most just in Delhi but the entire NCR region. It is anticipated that the number of corona patients in the national Capital could

cross the figure of 5.5 lakh by July end for which the health infrastructure is also being ramped up according. Railways Ministry has already covered 500 coaches into hospital bed complete with oxygen cylinders and have the have been parked at the Anand Vihar railway station for the worst case scenario.

Briefing the media following his visit, Mr Kejriwal said: “Almost all the preparations for Covid treatment have been done here. There will be 450 beds in this hospital for the treatment of corona patients, and every third bed will have oxygen supply attached to it.”

Record 3,137 new coronavirus cases, the highest single-day tally ever, was recorded in last 24 hours in the national capital. Total Covid patients count now at 53,118, The city also recorded 66 deaths in last 24 hours. Death toll now stand at 2,034. There are 27, 512 active cases and so far 23,569 patients recovered from Covid .