NT NETWORK Margao

Though the state government has announced that COVID-19 treatment in private hospitals has been included in its flagship health insurance scheme Deen Dayal Swasthya Seva Yojana (DDSSY), some private hospitals in South Goa district have, however, been refusing to accept the DDSSY cards claiming that they are yet to receive the related government order.

One such case was reported in Margao on Saturday. The COVID-19 patient was admitted to a private hospital last week by his relatives as a bed was not available in government hospital. The patient was subsequently put on oxygen.

However, after five days, when the patient started recovering, his relatives enquired with the hospital as to whether the COVID treatment facility was available in the hospital under DDSSY as announced recently by the Chief Minister and they were shocked to get a reply from the hospital authorities that no such order has been received by them from the government.

“The five-day bill amounted to around Rs 2.2 lakh. I asked the hospital authorities whether COVID treatment could be covered under DDSSY since the Chief Minister and Health Minister made the announcement recently. I was given a negative reply stating that the hospital was yet to receive the order to this effect from the government,” a relative of the patient said. “It is sad that the government has put the cart before the horse,” he said.

He further said the patient’s family members have now decided to collectively pay the hospital bill and wait for the reimbursement of money under DDSSY.

Another COVID patient said though the government has issued directions to private hospitals to dedicate 50 per cent of their bed capacity for admission and treatment of serious COVID patients, “the rich and influential people will rush