Private hospitals in Gujarat agree to reduce rates for COVID-19 care

An association of private hospitals in the state has informed the Gujarat High Court that they were ready to slash charges for "private patients'' admitted for coronavirus treatment by up to ten percent.

Ahmedabad: Private hospitals in the state on Friday informed the Gujarat High Court that they were ready to slash charges for "private patients'' admitted for coronavirus treatment by upto ten per cent.

Private patients are those who visit these hospitals on their own, against those who are referred to by the government.

The government has fixed the treatment charges for private patients. But nudged by the court, the Ahmedabad Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association said they would reduce the fees prescribed for such patients admitted to general wards by ten per cent.

The fees prescribed for coronavirus patients admitted to ICU wards will be reduced by five per cent, the association said.

A division bench of Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice J B Pardiwala, hearing Public Interest Litigations related to the coronavirus crisis, said that private hospitals should put humanity before profit because "the God is watching".

Earlier, the bench had admonished private hospitals for "exorbitant fees" being charged for treating coronavirus patients.

The Gujarat government then directed these hospitals to reserve 50 per cent beds for patients referred to by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, and also fixed the fees for the remaining 50 per cent beds meant for COVID-19 patients who come to hospitals on their own.

During Friday's hearing, the association told the court that private hospitals were not charging more than what was prescribed.

PTI Report