5 Aarogyasri empanelled private Covid-19 hospitals in Andhra fined for overcharging patients 

GUNTUR:  Fines were imposed on five Aarogyasri empanelled private Covid-19 hospitals in the Guntur district for overcharging Covid-19 patients, Joint Collector Prashanthi said. She held a review meeting with District Disciplinary Committee on Monday. Addressing the meeting, she that the State government to provide treatment free of cost to patients has included Covid-19 treatment under Aarogyasri sch eme. 

There are 92 Covid-19 notified hospitals in the district, of which 21 are government hospitals and 45 are private Aarogyasri empanelled hospitals. Of the total 9,000 beds available for Covid-19 patients in the district, 5,991 beds are under Aarogyasri. Till now, as many as 17,000 Covid-19 patients have received treatment free of cost under the scheme in the district. 

But despite the strict instructions , of the government, managements of some private hospitals do not admit the Covid-19 patients under Aarogyasri scheme. In such situations, the frontline health service professionals or Aarogya Mitras at the hospitals should come to the rescue of Covid-19 patients and make sure they are admitted under the Aarogyasri scheme in the hospital.

Prashanthi directed the Aarogya Mitras to inform the senior officials in case they observed that the hospital management is refusing to treat patient/s under Aarogyasri. She also suggested the hospital management to follow the government’s rules failing which severe action will be taken. Licences can also be revoked in case of violation of rules, she warned.The JC said that the Covid-19 patients can dial 83338-14007 to register a complaint if they were refused to be treated under the Aarogyasri scheme or overcharged for the Covid-19 treatment, she added.