As the opposition's chorus grows to blame Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao of not doing enough to mitigate Covid-19 patients’ travails in Telangana, the state’s governor Tamilisai Soundarrajan is taking the matter in her hands.
On Tuesday, Dr Soundararajan held a virtual meeting with representatives of corporate hospitals after several complaints of private hospitals fleecing the Covid-19 patients surfaced lately.
An emotional video by one Dr Asra Sultana appealing “for rescue from a private hospital’s exploitation” highlighted the enormous mismatch between rates fixed by the Telangana government for Covid-19 treatment in the private sector and the actual bills patients are forced to pay. In another appalling incident from Hyderabad, a woman needing emergency care was reportedly refused admittance in several private hospitals in a single night, leading to her death eventually in a government hospital.
“People are in distress and running from pillar to post to get admitted in the hospitals. They are losing valuable time in getting beds at hospitals. This is an extraordinary situation where we need to show a kind heart and humanitarian approach,” the governor said while pointing to the private hospital managements that their good service would be undermined by negative publicity on pricing and services.
“We need to build confidence among the middle class people that they can walk in to any private hospital and be assured of quality treatment at affordable cost,” Dr Soundararajan said while assuring that as a doctor herself, she can understand the hospitals’ problems operating during the pandemic.
A month ago, the governor visited the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, a state-run facility designated for Covid-19 treatment and in an expression of solidarity met the doctors who tested positive.
CM Rao has, till now, not made any such visit despite the protesting junior doctors at the Covid-19 nodal Gandhi Hospital demanding his visit to understand their problems working tirelessly.
Raj Bhavan sources told DH that the governor wrote several letters to the TRS government raising concerns over the testing rates, containment measures etc.
“Madam, No contact tracing. No testing. My relatives suffered a lot from 3 days in Asifabad govt hospital. No proper food. NO DOCTOR. They today took for test after 3 days. Madam I request you to please take strict action. You are the only hope of TS now,” tweeted one Praneeth Sai.
Dr Soundararajan, former chief of Tamil Nadu BJP, has been the Telangana governor from September 2019.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, hearing a petition on exorbitant fees charged in private hospitals despite a government order capping the prices, the Telangana high court asked for the government’s response.
While allowing private hospitals in Covid-19 treatment, health minister Etela Rajender had, on 15 June, announced a ceiling of Rs 7500 per day without ventilator support and Rs 9000 with ventilator. Several hospitals are reportedly charging 10 times the prescribed rates.
A related government order excludes charges for Covid-19 testing, PPE kits to high end drugs and investigations like CT Scan, MRI allowing private hospitals subject patients to such procedures and charge accordingly.