Rajasthan Health Department caps rates for COVID-19 treatment in private hospitals

Rajasthan Health Minister Dr Raghu Sharma has fixed the rates for treatment of coronavirus in private hospitals across the State.

He said that private hospitals will have to treat COVID infected according to these rates. Action will be taken against the private hospitals who do not strictly follow these directions.

According to an official release, Dr Sharma said, "Better medical facilities are being provided to the general public at COVID Care Centres and COVID Dedication Hospitals in the entire State. This arrangement has been done so that treatment rates of corona in private hospitals remain the same. He said that with the implementation of these rates, the patients will not have any confusion about the fees charged during the treatment and it will also stop uncontrolled collection by the private hospitals."

The Health Minister said that according to the new rates, on getting admitted to national accredited and non-accredited hospitals, fees charged from the infected patient will be up to Rs 5000; up to Rs 7500 from the serious patient and up to Rs 9000 including ICU charges from the critical patient.

These rates include fees such as consultation charges, PPE kit, medicines, tubes, bed, breakfast, lunch, dinner and others.

The Health Minister said that the department earlier had fixed the treatment rates of COVID-19 in private hospitals, but it was not clear as to what all investigations, medicines and various other expenses are included in COVID treatment. In such a situation confusion persists.

"In such a situation, the protocol of COVID-19 treatment and maximum rates in private hospitals were re-decided after discussions with all District Collectors, all principal of Government Medical Colleges, senior doctors and representatives of private hospitals," he added.

Dr Sharma said that soon a system will be developed to know the vacant and situation of authorised beds in private hospitals in the State so that no hospital could send back the patients stating that all beds are full. With this system, no hospital could lie about the number of beds in the hospital.

In another development, Dr Sharma said that the number of high-flow oxygen beds is being increased by four times on the directions of the Chief Minister. Even COVID Care Centres are being set up in the State.

He said that with the complete arrangements made in the State and due to awareness of people, the positivity rate is 3.6 per cent in the State, which compared to the national average, is low. Although, the number of infected is increasing, at the same time 82% of the patients have recovered and have gone home. Along with this, there is a continuous decline in the fatality rate.

( With inputs from ANI )