Private hospitals lay out terms as government stands firm on price cap

HYDERABAD: THE State government hasn’t agreed to negotiate the price cap it had fixed a few days ago for Covid-19 treatment in private hospitals, despite representatives from the Telangana Super Speciality Hospitals Association (TESHA) meeting Health Minister Eatala Rajender on Thursday over the matter.

Three TESHA representatives, including its president Dr B Bhaskar Rao from KIMS Hospitals, Suresh Kumar from Yashoda Hospitals and K Devanand from Aster Prime hospital, met the Health Minister. While Eatala did not agree to ease the price cap, which has been fixed at a maximum amount of Rs 9,000 per day for an ICU with ventilator, it is to be seen whether the private hospitals will adhere to it, as their charges for the same is anywhere between Rs 30,000 to Rs 1 lakh per day.

When contacted, TESHA representatives told Express that they would follow the price cap set by the Telangana government for only those patients who were housed in ‘wards’. This means that if a person is required to be isolated in a separate room with ventilator, the concerned private or corporate hospital may not follow the price cap set by the State government.

The media release from the Health Minister’s Office, however, said that Eatala had directed TESHA representatives to ensure that the charges levied on Covid-19 patients admitted in ICU were as per the price cap fixed by the State. He also told them that prices for PPE kits and medicines must also be as per government regulations.

3 persons die of Covid in the State on Thursday

spike in cases

The spike in Covid cases can be attributed to the mass testing drive taken up after the CM’s announcement. Several frontline workers such as police personnel and GHMC staff are being tested