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Covid treatment charges fixed for private hospitals in Kerala: CM

Pinarayi Vijayan2121 10
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Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday May 10 informed that the government has issued orders capping the charges for the treatment of Covid patients who directly go to private hospitals in the State.

Briefing the media, the Chief Minister said, “Covid treatment is already free for the beneficiaries of Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhati (KASP) and for those referred from government hospitals at private hospitals empanelled by the State Health Agency. The tariff announced today will be applicable for the Covid patients who reach the private hospitals directly. This was necessitated because of the large number of complaints of overcharging and exorbitant billing by such hospitals and the subsequent intervention by the honourable high court. The rates were finalised after discussions with private hospitals.”

There are two slabs of rates fixed for NABH accredited hospitals and non-accredited hospitals. These rates include Registration Charge, Bed Charges, Nursing and Boarding Charges, Surgeons, Anaesthetists, Medical Practitioner, Consultant Charges, Anesthesia, Blood Transfusion, Oxygen, medicines, essential tests, X-ray, USG, haematology, pathology, and pre and post-hospitalization costs. High-end tests such as CT Chest / HRCT Chest, as well as expensive drugs such as Remdesivir and Tocilizumab, and the PPE kits are excluded from the daily rate. There is a strict provision that these cannot be charged in excess of the MRP. PPE. Kit, pulse oximeter, masks and portable oxygen cylinders should not be overcharged.

The rates charged by the hospitals must be displayed within the hospital and on their own website, as per the Clinical Establishment Act. If any hospital is found to be charging more than the prescribed rate, the District Medical Officer will penalise them with ten times the fine as per the Clinical Establishment Act. In addition, District Collectors will take further action under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and the Kerala Epidemic Diseases Ordinance, 2021. Patients arriving for Covid treatment must be admitted immediately by all private hospitals in strict compliance with admission protocols. No advance payment of medical fees (deposit) should be taken at the time of admission.

Meanwhile, 27,487 new Covid-19 cases were reported in Kerala today from 99,748 sample tests during the last 24 hours with a test positivity rate of 27.56%. There were 65 deaths today due to Covid taking the related death toll in the state to 5,978. Currently, there are 4,19,726 patients under treatment while 31,209 persons have recovered from the disease today. Thiruvananthapuram district has the highest number of 3,494 new positive cases.

“There are 72 panchayats in the state with a test positivity rate of over 50% with 19 of them being in Ernakulam district, and in 300 panchayats, it’s above 30%. There are 57 panchayats with 500 to 2,000 active cases. This is a serious situation. The number of confirmed cases continues to be high in Kannur, Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam districts. Stronger preventive measures should be taken in these districts. In other districts it is gradually declining”, the CM said.

CM requests PM for additional oxygen allotment

The Chief Minister has written to the Prime Minister for allocation of additional liquid medical oxygen for the state in view of the rising demand here and also to run oxygen express trains to Kerala.

Kerala has a daily production of 219 MT of oxygen and was maintaining a buffer stock of 450 MT of oxygen without any pressure on the national grid. But in view of the demand from other states, our buffer stock was sent to those places to help Covid patients as and when required. At present, our buffer stock is only 86 MT. As the active cases are expected to touch 6 lakhs by May 15, we will need 450 MT of oxygen to cater to a large number of people admitted to hospitals. As the state is far away from the steel plants in the country, it will be difficult to bring oxygen to Kerala from other places in case of emergencies.

“Therefore, we request that the 219 MT of oxygen produced daily in Kerala be allowed for use within the state and the remaining to be sourced from steel plants. In view of the general situation in the country, the Central Government should procure cryo tankers as soon as possible and supply liquid medical oxygen from them. They should also run oxygen express trains to the southern states including Kerala”, the CM said.

Meanwhile, the CM also informed that the Central Government has sanctioned three more oxygen plants for Kerala. “Steps have been taken to reduce oxygen waste. There are reports of overuse of oxygen. The technical team in all the districts will check this and take necessary action”, he added.

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