Pvt hosps move HC against price cap for COVID-19 treatment

When the plea came for hearing on Monday, Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana directed the State government to file its response by January 11.

The association represented by its Joint Secretary J Adel sought for a direction to the Tamil Nadu government to device an appropriate, rational and sustainable package rates for treatment and testing of COVID -19 for beneficiaries under Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme/general public in empanelled private hospitals and labs. The plea said input costs have gone significantly high due to rigorous infection control practices, disinfectants, sanitisers, masks and protective gear for the medical staff.

“The hospitals are also picking up all expenses for employees who are quarantined for either suspected infection or test positive. Postponement of elective surgeries, dip in footfall, reduction in OPD patients, complete halt on international patients due to travel ban and a significant fall in bed occupancy and inpatient treatments have brought down the revenue significantly, and the increased cost due to reasons stated above has resulted in huge losses for all hospitals,” the plea said.

The plea argued that there was no data or any material based on which the cost for treatment of non-critical and critical care COVID patients was fixed.