HYDERABAD: Health Minister Eatala Rajender on Saturday ordered a vigilance committee to investigate the complaints about private hospitals charging exorbitantly for COVID-19 treatment.
"Although the government has fixed prices for COVID-19 treatment at private hospitals, many are not following the orders. It is not appropriate to burden the people in the name of medicines, PPE kits, ICU charges and high salaries for staff. We have conducted an extensive review of the complaints," the Minister, who noted the rising number of such complaints, said.
He was “outraged that the hospitals have forgotten their responsibility of providing medical care and are behaving without a humanitarian perspective for profit”.
Wrong to cash in on people’s fears: Eatala Rajender
"At this crucial point, private hospitals were asked to do their part in saving people's lives, without thinking of business. It is incorrect to cash in on people’s fears. We have received complaints that artificial shortage of beds has been created by private hospitals, due to which they are charging lakhs from patients and not admitting them without advance payments. Even asymptomatic people are being admitted and charged similarly," Eatala said.