KOLKATA: The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Commission (WBCERC) has asked private hospitals to levy the same bed charges from Covid patients that existed on March 1, 2020, when the pandemic was yet to spread in the state.
The commission has also directed hospitals not to turn away any patient if s/he is unable to pay the deposit amount while seeking admission.
Moreover, the hospitals have been told to offer a discount on medicines and consumables or else allow patients’ kin to procure them from outside. The doctor consultation fee that hospitals charge from patients, however, has been doubled.
“We cannot take an abrupt decision on bed charges. But we are telling hospitals to stick to the bed charges that existed in March for all beds, including ICU, ICCU and ITU, including for Covid patients,” said Justice Ashim Kumar Banerjee, the chairman of WBCERC.
The commission members met on Saturday to discuss various issues on Covid treatment cost and management of patients. The commission felt that bed charges, along with medicine and investigative tests, are three main elements that push up hospital bills. Hospitals have been asked to offer a discount of 10% and 20% on medicine and consumables, respectively. Else, they should allow patients’ relatives to procure them from outside, the commission has advised. Moreover, while directing hospitals not to turn away any patient if s/he is unable to pay the deposit amount, the health panel has revised the doctor fee from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 per day per critical patient.
“It is a regular practice for hospitals to review its charges, including for beds, every financial year and implement the tariff by April 1. So increased bed rates do not have anything to do with Covid-19. However, we will be meeting on Monday and honour the commission’s advisory because this is an extraordinary situation,” said Peerless Hospital CEO Sudipta Mitra.
Private hospitals review their services charges yearly and accordingly, bed charges are increased by 5% to 10% every year. This time, the review coincided with the pandemic. Hospitals are expected to receive the commission’s advisory by Sunday.
“We welcome this move and are ready to abide by the advisory to extend whatever help to the common people. But we need some time for internal discussion. We also seek more clarity from the commission before we start implementing it,” said Rupak Barua, group CEO of AMRI Hospitals.
“But bed rates have not been increased for Covid treatment. All clinical establishment reviews charge every year, factoring in inflation. Like every year, this year it came into effect from April 1,” added Barua.
The commission is also likely to issue a fresh advisory on deposit amounts that hospitals can take from patients. On August 8, the commission issued an advisory that said hospitals can charge Rs 50,000 or 20% of the estimated cost of treatment from patients. And if the patient is unable to pay the amount within 12 hours, hospitals could ask the family to take the patient back. This last clause of this advisory had drawn criticism from different quarters. “No hospital should turn away or stop treatment for treatment for want of money,” Banerjee said on Saturday.
This apart, the commission is expected to come out with its pathological guideline for Covid-19 treatment in the next few days. “The expert medical team has submitted a report on this pathological guideline,” said Banerjee.
The commission has also directed hospitals not to turn away any patient if s/he is unable to pay the deposit amount while seeking admission.
Moreover, the hospitals have been told to offer a discount on medicines and consumables or else allow patients’ kin to procure them from outside. The doctor consultation fee that hospitals charge from patients, however, has been doubled.
“We cannot take an abrupt decision on bed charges. But we are telling hospitals to stick to the bed charges that existed in March for all beds, including ICU, ICCU and ITU, including for Covid patients,” said Justice Ashim Kumar Banerjee, the chairman of WBCERC.
The commission members met on Saturday to discuss various issues on Covid treatment cost and management of patients. The commission felt that bed charges, along with medicine and investigative tests, are three main elements that push up hospital bills. Hospitals have been asked to offer a discount of 10% and 20% on medicine and consumables, respectively. Else, they should allow patients’ relatives to procure them from outside, the commission has advised. Moreover, while directing hospitals not to turn away any patient if s/he is unable to pay the deposit amount, the health panel has revised the doctor fee from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 per day per critical patient.
“It is a regular practice for hospitals to review its charges, including for beds, every financial year and implement the tariff by April 1. So increased bed rates do not have anything to do with Covid-19. However, we will be meeting on Monday and honour the commission’s advisory because this is an extraordinary situation,” said Peerless Hospital CEO Sudipta Mitra.
Private hospitals review their services charges yearly and accordingly, bed charges are increased by 5% to 10% every year. This time, the review coincided with the pandemic. Hospitals are expected to receive the commission’s advisory by Sunday.
“We welcome this move and are ready to abide by the advisory to extend whatever help to the common people. But we need some time for internal discussion. We also seek more clarity from the commission before we start implementing it,” said Rupak Barua, group CEO of AMRI Hospitals.
“But bed rates have not been increased for Covid treatment. All clinical establishment reviews charge every year, factoring in inflation. Like every year, this year it came into effect from April 1,” added Barua.
The commission is also likely to issue a fresh advisory on deposit amounts that hospitals can take from patients. On August 8, the commission issued an advisory that said hospitals can charge Rs 50,000 or 20% of the estimated cost of treatment from patients. And if the patient is unable to pay the amount within 12 hours, hospitals could ask the family to take the patient back. This last clause of this advisory had drawn criticism from different quarters. “No hospital should turn away or stop treatment for treatment for want of money,” Banerjee said on Saturday.
This apart, the commission is expected to come out with its pathological guideline for Covid-19 treatment in the next few days. “The expert medical team has submitted a report on this pathological guideline,” said Banerjee.
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