Hyderabad: The Coronavirus pandemic is threatening not just the health of the people, but also their financial conditions, as many families are having to shell out their life savings in order to save their loved ones infected by the disease.
In the hope of keeping their loved ones alive, families are paying exuberant private hospital bills by accruing money through the sale or hypothecation of their properties, or by borrowing large sums. Sadly, in spite of all the struggle, they are still not guaranteed that their loved ones will be saved from the deadly virus.
Victims who reach out to corporate hospitals in the belief that they will get better treatment, are unable to pay their bills and are ending up in debt. Even if the government puts a cap on corona treatment in private hospitals, the victims will have to pay the entire amount billed by these hospitals against various services provided by them at a higher price, as the policy of subsidised prices is not being implemented. Despite repeated warnings from the government and the High Court's reprimand, the condition of some hospitals has not changed.
Undiminished demand for private treatment
The government has set up 8,093 beds in 45 district and regional hospitals for corona treatment in Telangana. Of them, only 2,584 (31.92 per cent) beds were filled. Of the 223 private hospitals in the state, only 11,055 beds are available for Covid treatment, of which 4,062 (36.74 per cent) are being utilised for treatment.
Overall, there is no big difference in the number of people being treated in public and private hospitals. In some corporate hospitals in Hyderabad, 70-80 per cent of the beds are full. According to the Department of Health on Sunday, a corporate hospital in Banjara Hills had 167 beds, 154 of which were full. Another private hospital in Hi-Tech City is treating 186 patients in 205 beds. Another corporate hospital has 100 ICU beds, all of which are filled with patients undergoing treatment.
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Government prices not implemented
If corona treatment is provided at any private hospital, the government-set price is - Rs 4,000 per day in Isolation Ward and Rs 7,500 per day in ICU. However, these orders are not being followed in many of the hospitals. The government has also indicated that people can complain their grievances on the WhatsApp number 9154170960, to which hundreds of complaints have been received so far.
Some of the corporate hospitals, instead of decreasing the charges, have increased their billing, as per the complaints received. The government took action against two corporate hospitals last month. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao also expressed outrage in the Legislative Assembly recently over this corporate exploitation. The government has appointed a committee of three IAS officers to monitor treatment costs at these hospitals.
Victims, however, complain that there is no change in the cost of treatment in many places. They want Corona treatment to also be included in the Arogyasree and Employee Health Schemes and ensure that the cost of treatment is properly monitored and the policy of subsidised charges is implemented.
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Families of corona-infected financially distressed
- Twelve members of a family from Khammam contracted the virus, following which they were admitted to a private hospital in Hyderabad. Some were sent home within three or four days. Others had to stay for 10 days. The total cost added up to Rs 30 lakh. In spite of spending so much on the treatment, the head of the family could not be saved.
- A woman from Mahabubnagar district was admitted to a corporate hospital in Hyderabad for her delivery. She was initially tested for Covid and was found to be negative. Rs 2 lakh were paid for her caesarean delivery. However, she expressed breathlessness and was immediately shifted to the ICU. She underwent treatment for 20 days for which she had to pay out around Rs 29 lakh. Sadly however, she eventually lost her life. Her husband was in deep grief since he could not save his wife in spite of shelling out lakhs of rupees which he had borrowed from various sources.
- A photo journalist from Warangal was rushed to a private hospital in Hyderabad after contracting coronavirus. His condition worsened and he had to be treated on a ventilator. The bill added up to Rs 28 lakh, with the family falling prey to loan sharks.
- Seven persons of a family of eight from Adilabad, were infected with coronavirus. One person was admitted to a private hospital in Nagpur and the other to a private hospital in Adilabad due to health concerns. Both of them died within 10 days. The family had to borrow over Rs 6 lakh for their treatment, but with the loss of both earners, they are now reeling under debt.
- Baswant (46), an RMP doctor from Barangeddi village, in Nizamabad district, had to be admitted to a private hospital in Hyderabad for six days to get treated for Covid infection. He was charged around Rs 12 lakhs, but eventually succumbed to the illness. Along with the upbringing of the two children, the burden of interest and the actual loan fell on the poor widowed wife.
- Pendur Lakshmana Rao (56), was a tribal leader from Adilabad district, who had a three-decade political career. Although he was elected as a village sarpanch multiple times, he was not in a financially stable situation. On August 24, he contracted Covid. He was treated at Adilabad RIMS Medical College for two days and at a private hospital there for another nine days.
As his health did not improve, he was admitted to a corporate hospital in Hyderabad on September 3. He lost his life on the 8th. Lakshmana Rao's family faced many difficulties to save their family head. A private hospital in Adilabad charged them Rs 1.5 lakh while a corporate hospital in Hyderabad charged them well over Rs 7 lakhs.
They hand loaned Rs nine lakh from their family friends to pay these bills. On the one hand, the family is in a big debt and on the other hand they lost their father who was the bread winner of the family. - A young man from Mahabubabad district was admitted into a corporate hospital in Hyderabad after contracting the virus. He recovered after two weeks of treatment but Rs 10 lakh bill had to be paid. An acre and a half of land and a house were mortgaged and requisite money was borrowed by the family members.
While he was on the way to recovery, his mother also got infected with Covid. Already financially distressed, he admitted his mother to a different hospital. Even there, he had to spend a huge amount to the tune of Rs 5 lakh. However, his mother succumbed.
He lamented that he could not admit her to a corporate hospital for want of money and now he could not save his mother. He himself was trapped in the corporate loop and within three weeks, had to shell out almost Rs 15 lakh, which was loaned by him. Now he has to sell his properties such as fields to pay off the huge debt.
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