Jaslok Hospital in south Mumbai will now be dedicated COVID-19 hospital, announced Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday. The decision was taken in view of the current surge in positive cases and the need to increase the number of beds with advanced critical care in Mumbai.
The civic body has also decided that patients who do not require emergency medical intervention in private hospitals will now be shifted to step-down facilities which will be set up in four or five star hotels, which will be jointly identify by the BMC and private hospitals.
According to the guidelines issued by BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, such step-down facilities can be set up with the active participation of private hospitals as an integral part of these hospitals.
The general instructions issued by the civic body said that private hospitals would provide 24x7 doctor consultations, nursing care, medicines, biomedical waste management and ambulance transfer in these facilities. These facilities can charge maximum of ₹ 4,000/per day/bed to be paid by hospitals. Hospitals can charge extra for medical expenses, doctor visits and other incidental charges. In case of close relative sharing two beds, charge will be ₹6,000. The duration in such facilities will be decided on medical advise.
Only those patients who do not require oxygen, ICU and ventilator can be transferred to step-down facilities. The facilities are to admit patients referred only by hospitals with whom they have tied up. They will be responsible for providing round-the-clock hospitality services and catering and can charge the actuals from patients for extra services.