COVID-19 chaos in Delhi: Govt app reveals over 4,000 vacant beds as patients complain of shortage, eye-popping charges at private hospitals
FirstpostThe surge in COVID-19 cases has stunned the Delhi government that was, till a few weeks ago, confident of its ability to manage the virus. The Delhi government has directed 61 private hospitals to free up 20 percent of their beds for the use of COVID-19 positive patients. Health minister Satyendar Jain, speaking on hospital authorities who raised doubts that they’d be able to manage both COVID and non-COVID patients, warned that the government would simply declare them dedicated COVID-19 hospitals. Post Kejriwal’s charge that some private hospitals were indulging in profiteering, Saroj Hospital, one of six private hospitals that the Delhi government has converted into a dedicated COVID-only facility, issued a circular of its treatment costs: A minimum bill of Rs 3 lakh even if the patient is in the hospital for less than a day Advance payment of Rs 4 lakh for a shared room Rs 5 lakh for a single room and Rs 8 lakh for ICU The treatment charges are in packages, from Rs 40,000 a day in a shared room to Rs 75,000 a day in ICU and Rs 100,000 a day for ICU with ventilator. “The hotels would provide beds, housekeeping, food as well as medical services.” The government has, so far, linked eight hotels to hospitals, to act as extended COVID-19 hospitals and is in the process of similarly linking 19 more hospitals with hotels to tentatively add another 2,000 beds by 15 June, even though two hotels have moved the courts against this order.