With this “partial modification” of its May 26 order, the whole purpose of putting cap on charges for Covid-19 treatment in private hospitals is unlikely to be served as private hospitals rake in moolah from oxygen use
TFM Desk
The Manipur government’s “partially modified” order fixing the upper limit of charges for COVID-19 treatment in private hospitals is unlikely to provide any succour to patients and their kin as the per day charges stipulated by the government are for registration, bed and nursing and boarding only.
Under pressure from private hospitals which refused to comply with its May 26 order, the Health Department has issued the order on Tuesday to this effect.
As per the May 26 order, the upper limit of charges for COVID-19 treatment was set as — for general or isolation bed Rs 3,000 (without Oxygen support) and Rs 5,000 (with Oxygen support); Rs 7,000 for High Dependency Unit (HDU); Rs 8,000 for ICU without ventilator use, and Rs 10,000 for ICU with ventilator use. These per day charges include — registration charge, bed charge, nursing and boarding charge, medicine and drugs, Oxygen charges, and pathology and radiology test.
In the new order, the upper limit of charges for COVID-19 treatment remains almost same as Rs. 3,000 per day has been set for general or Isolation bed; Rs. 7,000 per day for High Dependency Unit (HDU); Rs. 8,000 per day for ICU without ventilator use and Rs. 10,000 per day for ICU with ventilator use. However, these charges include just registration charge, bed charge and nursing and boarding charge.
According to the new order, private hospitals can now charge Oxygen separately at a “reasonable rate”. The government of India and the state government’s guidelines for “Rational Use of Oxygen for Management of COVID-19” will have to be ensured and specific records of oxygen given to each patient will also have to be maintained.
Private hospitals can now also charge for medicine and drugs, as per actual usage with “maintenance of proper records and sharing of details daily with the patient party”. Pathology and Radiology tests will also be charged separately “as per normal rates” with records of prescription by the doctor. Extra medical procedures such as caesarean section, emergency surgery etc will also be charged separately.
The health department had stipulated the upper limit of charges for COVID-19 treatment to ensure that an ordinary person, who could not get a bed at any government medical facility, is not financially ruined for seeking treatment in private hospitals which charge exorbitant rates for the service.
With this “partial modification”, the government seems to have gone back to square one as the whole purpose of putting a cap on charges for Covid-19 treatment in private hospitals is unlikely to be served.
For instance, Raj Medicity, which drew flak for detaining a dead body over clearance the 2.7 lakh medical bill by kin, charges just Rs 6,000 for Covid ICU bed (with or without ventilator use) and Rs 2,500 for nursing care Covid ICU per day. So, the government’s upper limit of per day charges of Rs 8,000 for ICU without ventilator use, and Rs 10,000 for ICU with ventilator use is unlikely to make any difference to exorbitant rates being levied for covid treatment by the private hospital.
Besides, the order reiterated that high-end medicines like Remdesivir can be charged separately at the rate of Rs.3,400 per dose — the current Gol prescribed rate. PPE costs can also be charged separately based on actual use and the cost should be sub-allocated among patients based on rounds taken by the doctors or nurses.
PMJAY and CMHT beneficiaries are covered for COVID-19 hospitalisation expenses. Their bills will be processed as per PMJAY and CMHT norms and procedures, it added.
The new order also clarified that private hospital staff are covered under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package: Insurance Scheme for Health Workers Fighting COVID 19 subject to Scheme guidelines and numbers as indicated by MoHFW.
The Heath Department’s order also mentioned that private hospitals should strictly comply with the new rates and ensure that “affordable COVID treatment is accessible to all”.
It may be mentioned that TFM had reported how a couple of private hospitals were defying the rates stipulated by the state government for the treatment of COVID-19 patients and were charging exorbitant amounts for the service. Some hospital bills accessed by TFM have shown a total disregard of the cap fixed by the state government in its order dated May 26.
Raj Medicity had charged by the hour for its ventilator service for COVID patients. When confronted by a student body, the hospital authority had stated that the rates will come to effect after the negotiations with the state government were done.
The Manipur Government had on May 26 pegged the charges for COVID-19 treatment at private hospitals in the state.
The upper limit of charges for COVID-19 treatment was set as — for general or isolation bed Rs 3,000 (without Oxygen support) and Rs 5,000 (with Oxygen support); Rs 7,000 for High Dependency Unit (HDU); Rs 8,000 for ICU without ventilator use, and Rs 10,000 for ICU with ventilator use. These are per day charges and includes — registration charge, bed charge, nursing and boarding charge, medicine and drugs, Oxygen charges, and pathology and radiology test.