Telangana: 45 petition govt to include private hospitals in Covid-19 fight

HYDERABAD: Suggesting that the Telangana government rope in private hospitals in Covid-19 treatment, albeit with a cap on pricing, a group of 45 prominent personalities from the city, including former bureaucrats, public health administrators, professors, authors, among others, tabled a petition before the state health minister, on Saturday. Indicating an increase in pressure on the health infrastructure, in the coming days, the petition also sought full operationalisation of the newly-inaugurated Gachibowli hospital at the earliest.
“Involve private hospitals but with a reasonable price limit for all patients, and with Aarogyasri coverage for BPL patients who have white ration cards. Decentralize with careful planning treatment of Covid-19 cases at various levels of health facilities including district hospitals to prevent mounting pressure on a single hospital leading to the crumbling of already inadequate infrastructure,” the petition stated, expressing concern over the attack on a junior doctor at the state run-Gandhi Hospital on June 10.
“We would like to express our worry about the problems faced with the governmental response to the Covid-19 epidemic which is ravaging the state. We are not affiliated to any political party and we support the government’s attempts to handle this difficult crisis,” added the petitioners including K Sujatha Rao, former health secretary, government of India. Jeevan Kumar of Human Rights Forum, Prof Shantha Sinha, former chairperson, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Prof Padmaja Shaw (retired) Osmania University, Minnie Mathew, former chief secretary, government of Andhra Pradesh (undivided) among others.