Private hospitals may soon treat Covid patients at govt-fixed rates

Bengaluru: With the number of Covid-19 positive cases rising, the state government has decided to allow private hospitals to join hands. They will have to abide by the protocol and schedule of rates the government will notify in a few days.

The government will write to the ICMR and the health ministry to work out the cost of treatment based on which the rates chargeable by corporate hospitals and nursing homes will be decided, medical education minister K Sudhakar said.

“The government alone cannot handle the Covid cases. We want the private sector to join hands with us to control the spread of the infection.”

“We will have a uniform rate card for Covid treatment across the state. There could be slight rise in treatment costs in Bengaluru,” he said, adding the government will soon notify the rates.

As for patients who are poor and cannot afford treatment in private hospitals, the government will write to the Centre to see how it could help Karnataka extend insurance cover under Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka (AB-ARK) healthcare insurance scheme.

The government will require nursing homes and corporate hospitals offering to treat Covid patients to have an isolation ward exclusively for Covid patients.

The government will take stern action against private labs and hospitals if there were complaints of over-charging and exploitation of patients.