Hospital fee cap: Govt seeks four weeks, Telangana High Court gives two

HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday cornered the State government on the delay in finalisation of the ceiling for fee for treatment to Covid-19 and Black Fungus in private hospitals and allowed only two weeks to do the job, rejecting the State’s request for four weeks. In a stinging comment, a bench of the court asked Health Department secretary Syed Ali Murtaza Rizivi, whether the ceiling would be finalised after Covid-19 vanishes completely. It also asked him whether the government had ensured refund of excess fee paid by patients to private hospitals.

The court wanted to know why the State was seeking another four weeks’ time at a time when it had already been given a month. When Rizvi sought at least two weeks, the court allowed it but said it would be the last extension being given. “Within two weeks, you issue the orders and submit a copy to the court,” the bench said. To the court’s query on ensuring refund, the government submitted to the court that already private hospitals had been forced to return Rs 65 lakh to the patients.

The court then said the government should quicken the process and ensure that all the patients who had been overcharged should get refund as early as possible. Earlier in his report to the court, Rizvi said government needed another four weeks to finalise the ceiling for fee chargeable by the private hospitals since it involved initiating a dialogue with the private hospitals.

Ready to meet 3rd wave

In his report, Director of Health Dr G Srinivasa Rao said that the State was fully geared to meet the threat posed by the Covid-19 third wave. He submitted to the court that so far, 66.79 lakh people had been vaccinated against Covid-19 and that the Coronagraph was on a downward trend. In government hospitals, 36.5 per cent and in private hospitals only 16.35 per cent of beds were full. He apprised the court that 10,366 beds in government hospitals have oxygen facility and wo r k w a s i n progress for providing the facility to another 15,000 beds. In hospitals, as many as 132 oxygen plants had been set up. In case Covid-19 attacks children, the government was readying 1,000 beds at Niloufer Hospital in addition to the existing 3,000 beds. He said that the process was on to recruit more doctors.

'Strict lockdown’

DGP M Mahender Reddy in his report informed the court that lockdown was being enforced without any laxity and those who were violating the rules were being proceeded against. As many as 8.79 lakh cases had been registered for violation of lockdown rules till June 7, he said and pointed out that 160 cases were booked for black marketing of Covid-19 drugs