Jaipur: Patients in private hospitals have to pay for doctors’ Covid tests, PPE kits

JAIPUR: Patients in private hospitals will have to bear the cost of safety equipment of doctors and hospital staff as well as their Covid-19 tests. Doctors using personal protection equipment in operation theaters and wards will charge the cost of the equipment on patients. The cost will be included in a patient's bill. Even the cost of Covid tests, which they have made mandatory before performing surgeries, will be paid by patients.
Doctors use masks, face shields, gloves, which are included in PPEs, to prevent any risk of getting infection from Covid patients, including those who may not be aware that he is positive.
“In view of the recent submission by the central government in the Supreme Court that the responsibility of self-protection from Covid lies with doctors themselves, we have clarified that all patients coming to private hospitals will be treated as suspicious positive cases and dealt with all due preventive measures, including PPE kits. A single negative test is not enough to declare a patient Covid-free,” said Dr Vijay Kapoor, secretary, Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Society (PHNHS).
Patients to bear cost of PPE kits
Kapoor further clarified that the extra charges for protection will be billed on a ‘no profit, no loss basis’ on the patient. The actual cost of the PPE kits and Covid tests will be added to the bills of patients.
However, since insurance companies are not reimbursing the cost of PPEs and Covid-19 tests, the patients will have to bear the cost of such protective gear and tests.
The PHNHS claimed that the cost of Covid test is Rs 4,500 and the cost of PPEs range from Rs 200 to Rs 2,000, depending on the quality.
However, the PHNHS claimed that they have written to insurance companies to reimburse the cost of Covid tests and PPE kits to patients covered under mediclaim insurance schemes.