NEW DELHI: The Association of Healthcare Providers of India (AHPI) filed a petition in the Delhi High Court on Thursday against an order by the Delhi government that directed 33 private hospitals to reserve 80 per cent of their ICU bed capacity exclusively for the Covid-19 patients.
Girdhar J. Gyani, director of AHPI, said the petition has been filed on the ground that the order would snatch healthcare facilities from critically ill non-Covid patients. “Eighty per cent is as good as 100. No critically non-Covid patients would receive treatment due to dearth of ICU beds.
It will further deteriorate the situation of non-Covid patients who suffer from life-threatening diseases like cancer or are on schedule for their surgical treatment for months.” “They (patients) will ultimately suffer or eventually could lose their life since they have already been waiting for months to resume their treatment,” he added.
Earlier the AHPI had criticised the order and demanded an immediate repeal. The Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government had issued the order on Saturday, making it mandatory for 33 private hospitals to block 80 per cent of their bed capacity for Covid-19 patients. These 33 hospitals also include five hospitals which have been converted into dedicated Covid facilities.
AHPI had earlier questioned the order and said that this will not just expose non-Covid patients to the risk of Covid but also undermine the right of other patients, who are in serious need of medical attention.
“The order has been issued without any prior discussions with private hospitals to understand the current demand-supply situation of critical care beds.
While we fully support the augmentation of infrastructure for treatment of Covid patients, ignoring the needs of other sicker patients requiring critical care and ICU management is a gross injustice,” Dr Gyani had said.