BHUBANESWAR: As dedicated Covid hospitals are fast running out of beds in the face of an unrelenting surge in infections, the State Government on Monday sought to rope in private hospitals to tide over the crisis and asked them to allot half of their beds for Covid-19 patients.
The Government asked private hospitals having 30 or more beds in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Sambalpur, Berhampur and Rourkela to keep at least 50 per cent (pc) general beds and 80 pc ICU beds reserved for Covid patients.
The Health and Family Welfare department has, however, made it clear that the private hospitals can not charge more than the prescribed cost of treatment in three different categories as notified earlier.
As per the prescribed rate, no private hospital can charge more than Rs 2,950, including Rs 1,200 for bed and Rs 1,750 for consumables per day at non-NABH and Rs 4,750 including Rs 3000 bed charge for general bed in NABH certified facility.
For patients in ICU without ventilator support, non-NABH hospitals can charge Rs 10,000 per day and NABH accredited hospital can charge Rs 17,000 per day, which included Rs 8,000 and Rs 12,000 for consumables respectively. For ventilator use, the hospitals can raise bill ranging between Rs 12,000 and Rs 18,000.
The State Government has also decided to close down the temporary medical camps (TMCs), Covid Care Homes (CCHs) and Covid Care Centres (CCCs), where the occupancy is nil.
While TMCs and CCHs are not in use in many parts of the State following the drop in number of returnees and completion of door to door survey in rural areas, the CCCs are lying underutilised after the Government allowed home isolation of Covid patients with no or mild symptoms.
Additional Chief Secretary of Health department PK Mohapatra has directed all Collectors and Municipal Commissioners to take immediate step for closure of the facilities where occupancy is virtually nil.
“Districts and corporations have been asked to remobilise the deployed manpower where their services can be better utilised. Collector will personally monitor this and give compliance to the Special Relief Commissioner on a daily basis. If there is any emergency, the facilities can be created at short notice,” he added.