KCR government notifies Covid-19 treatment charges in private hospitals after the second wave recedes

The K Chandrashekar Rao government has finally notified the Covid-19 treatment rates in the private hospitals after the second wave intensity has receded in the state.

The Telangana high court which has been reviewing the Covid-19 pandemic in the state and the government's management of the same, had earlier this month questioned the health department over the delay and gave two weeks to set the treatment fee ceilings.

The state government had announced these rates in June last year, capping the charges in the private health care facilities at Rs 4000 per day for isolation ward, Rs 7500 in ICU without ventilator support and Rs 9000 with ventilator use.

But in the absence of such orders this year, several hospitals especially in Hyderabad have fleeced the patients charging over Rs one lakh per day. The lack of clarity has left the patients and their families helpless at the height of the second wave in April-May when beds in corporate hospitals were in high demand.

According to Tuesday's government orders, the health and family welfare department has retained last year's hospitalization charges like the per day charges for ICU treatment with a ventilator facility limited to Rs 9000. Charges for routine ward and isolation is Rs 4000 and for ICU without ventilator is Rs 7500.

“The charges include monitoring and investigations like CBC, Urine routine, HIV spot, Anti HCV, Hbs Ag, Sérum Créatinine, USG, 2D ECHO, XRay, ECG, Drugs, consultations, bed charge, meals and procedures like Ryle's Tube insertion, urinary tract catheterization,” the GO stated.

The exclusions are “interventional procedures like, but not limited to, central line insertion, Chemoport insertion, bronchoscopic procedures, biopsies, ascitic/pleural tapping, etc, which may be charged at a rack rate as on 31 December 2019.”

The exceptions also include high-end drugs like Immunoglobulins, Meropenem, Parentéral nutrition, Tocilizumab to be charged at MRP.

PPE kit charges are fixed at Rs.273 per kit.

With regards to investigations about Covid-19, the government has fixed the ceilings at Rs 1995 for HRCT, Rs 1,300 for IL-6, digital X-Ray for Rs 300, D-Dimer – Rs 800, CRP – Rs 500.

Ambulance charges are also fixed this year at Rs 75 per KM for vehicles with basic life-supporting systems and Rs 125 for those with advanced systems.

The private hospitals are asked to refrain from the experimental treatment.

“Unnecessary investigations, repeated HRCTs and inflammatory markers are to be avoided. Admissions and discharge protocols shall be followed scrupulously. Non-compliance of the orders shall attract action as per the law,” the orders stated.

The Rao government has lifted the Covid-19 lock down completely from Sunday, after declaring that “the virus is now under control in the state.”