Ahmedabad: The high cost of private healthcare due to the pandemic has further distorted the prices, both for Covid-19 and non-COVID-19 care. After coronavirus spread in Gujarat like wildfire and patients started pouring in large numbers in the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and other government COVID Care Centres.
Several private hospitals in the state have cited high fixed costs as one of the primary reasons for pricing anomalies inpatient care seen in various parts of the state. There were widespread protests from the patients and their family members against the ill-treatment and mismanagement in government facilities.
Patients and their relatives started posting photographs and videos in support of their charge of how senior doctors were not reporting for duty, how even the nursing staff attended to the patients irregularly and the patients were not being given medicines on time, that the food was of inferior quality and there was filth and squalor all around in the hospital.
Due to this, people started losing faith in the state’s healthcare system. Following public outcry, the state government finally woke up and gave permission to private hospitals to provide treatment to coronavirus patients.
There was the reason for the loss of trust in the government hospital as the death toll was reported highest from the Civil Hospital, touted as the biggest hospital in Asia. Panic-stricken coronavirus patients were compelled to be admitted to private hospitals.
Taking advantage of people’s panic, private hospitals started charging exorbitant fees, their bills running into lakhs of rupees. The Sterling Hospital’s package for treating coronavirus patient ranged from Rs 12 lakh to Rs 15 lakh.
ALSO READ: Gujarat minister tests positive for coronavirus
According to reports, there were numerous such complaints against other private hospitals. There was much public outcry about this. Due to which, the state government threatened to take action and fixed rates of private hospitals for the treatment of coronavirus patients. All private hospitals were made to reserve a certain number of beds for coronavirus patients.
Private hospitals had turned merciless when it came to treating coronavirus patients. Following the demand for carrying out more number of tests, the government allowed private laboratories to conduct the test. Private laboratories too took advantage of the situation and started charging Rs 4,500 for the test.
The charge for the test in Gujarat was much higher than in other states. Again, following public outcry, deputy chief minister and health minister Nitin Patel issued a public notification fixing the rate of the test. The rates are now fixed at Rs 2,500 if the patients visit the laboratory and Rs 3,000 if the laboratory sends the staff to the patient’s home.
The issue of treatment of coronavirus patients in private hospitals also came up before the Gujarat High Court. The High Court observed that it was the government’s responsibility to give proper treatment to the patients and it is greatly objectionable for the private hospitals to loot the patients.
The Supreme Court too had criticized the government saying coronavirus patients cannot be allowed to die and the government must make proper arrangements for their treatment. It was only after the High Court and the Supreme Court pulled up the government that the state government brought private hospitals under control.
