New Delhi: Against the backdrop of a continuous fight against COVID-19 pandemic, private hospitals in Delhi have started charging exorbitant prices for COVID-19 care.
Interestingly, the hospital management has announced COVID-19 medical management-per day package.
A rate chart of Max hospital said that economy package starts from Rs 25,000, double package Rs 27,100, Single 30,400, ICU Rs 53,000 and ICU with ventilator Rs 72,500.
When ETV Bharat contacted Max Hospital, the authority said that this is an old rate chart.
The Max official who did not want to be quoted, however, failed to provide the new rate chart.
Officials in the Health Ministry, however, denied to make any comment. "There was a cap on COVID-19 testing but as far as COVID-19 care in the hospital is concerned, there is no cap," said an official on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba has asked State chief secretaries to ensure that active house to house surveillance through special teams are being done in their respective states for early identification of COVID-19 cases in containment zones.
In a review meeting over COVID-19, Gauba also emphasised that preventive measures are extremely important especially for vulnerable population including elderly and co-morbid patients.
Meanwhile, with a total recovery of 147194 COVID-19 patients, India's COVID-19 recovery rate now stands at 49.47 percent.
Till date, 5363445 samples have been tested through 877 laboratories.
In a related development Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla has written to the State Chief Secretaries and reminded that movement of people strictly prohibited between 9 pm and 5 am across the country, "except for essential activities during unlock 1."
The letter said that restriction does not apply to instances of loading/unloading of goods (as part of supply chain logistics), buses carrying persons and trucks and goods carriers plying on state and national highways.
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