Putting up boards against admission of COVID patients was wrong, Kadapa private hospitals to District Collector

Some private hospitals here who put up boards about not admitting coronavirus patients accepted their decision as "incorrect" after Kadapa District Collector Hari Kiran and other administration officials on Friday held a meeting with the management of private hospitals.

The boards were put for nearly two hours on Thursday and by night the hospitals started working normally. The district collector held a meeting today.

Hari Kiran said they held a meeting with the management of private hospitals on Friday morning.

"We discussed yesterday's issue of their hanging boards for almost two hours that they would not be admitting COVID patients anymore. Those private hospital managements have admitted that what they had done is not correct, and they will repeat such things. They accepted to act according to the rules and regulations."

"We too have sensitized them that it is not correct to collect huge amounts of money from the patients or demand deposits immediately after their getting into the hospital. We explained to them that we have received complaints from the patients and there is no alternative for us other than raiding. They appreciated our efforts and expressed their concerns that they may have to face cheating cases," he added.

According to the District Collector, all this happened after they held vigilance raids on the hospitals. "During such raids, some substantial evidence was found that those hospitals were collecting exorbitant charges," he said.

He said the police have registered two FIRs in connection with those raids "for cheating patients".

"We have clarified their doubts and asked them to work well. We explained to them that the government itself is supplying Remdesivir to the private hospitals, and other measures being taken by the government. They admitted that their action of hanging boards that they won't admit patients, for one or two hours was not correct. We have given permissions to all private hospitals which came forward to treat COVID-19," said District Collector.

There were complaints against some private hospitals in Kadapa that they have been collecting exorbitant prices for treating COVID patients. Follwing this Harikiran ordered a probe into the matter. Teams led by Collector Saikanth Varma held vigilance raids on those hospitals, in which irregularities were found.

The management of private hospitals held a meeting on Thursday. After that, six private hospitals in the city hung posters that they have stopped admission of new COVID patients, "in regard to the harassment of doctors".

( With inputs from ANI )