The Tamil Nadu State Branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has drawn up a fee structure for COVID-19 treatment at private hospitals. With the Health Department having announced that it will fix a price cap for treatment in the private sector, the association has urged the department to hold discussions on the issue before finalising the fee structure.
The Health Department had decided to come up with a price cap for COVID-19 treatment at private hospitals following complaints that they were collecting exorbitant charges from patients. Officials said a decision on the fee structure would be announced soon.
C.N. Raja, State president, IMA-TN, said the government had received complaints about excessive charges being levied by private hospitals, while a few individuals had even filed court cases on the issue. “Following this, IMA was called for a meeting with the Health Secretary, during which we sought two to three days’ time for coming up with estimates. We drew up a cost structure, keeping the charges low, and sent it to the government. We are yet to be called for a discussion,” he said.
The IMA had proposed a fee of ₹2,31,820 for treatment at COVID Centres/COVID Health Care Centres (for persons with mild to moderate symptoms) for 10 days. This covered hospital charges including accommodation, equipment and administrative charges, pharmacy, consumables and investigation. The doctors’ consulting charges as well as quarantine and food expenses for doctors and other staff working in designated COVID centres were not included. The latter may work out to ₹9,600 a day.
For COVID Health Care Hospitals/ICU treatment (for persons with severe symptoms), the amount fixed was ₹4,31,311 for 17 days. Again, this excluded consulting charges and other expenses.
‘In line with protocols’
“We have arrived at the amount, keeping in mind the protocols laid down by the State government for a COVID-19 set-up. This is in line with the duty hours stipulated by the government, investigations to be [under]taken, and medications and diet to be provided to patients,” Mr. Raja said.
It was not advisable for small and medium hospitals to admit COVID-19 patients as the infrastructure and manpower would not be adequate, he said, adding, “There are costs involved in running hospitals. The fee structure that we have arrived at covers corporate hospitals.”