HYDERABAD: In a move to ensure that private hospitals do not fleece Covid-19 patients, the State government has instructed the hospitals to mandatorily display treatment costs at prominent locations on their premises.In a set of fresh instructions, which will come into immediate effect, Director of Public Health (DPH) Dr G Srinivasa Rao instructed all private hospitals to ensure that high-end drugs and Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) - which are excluded from package capping - are charged at the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) only.
It is also mandatory for private hospitals to display the MRP of PPE equipment and high-end drugs at prominent locations within the hospital and provide itemised bills while discharging a patient. “There was a need to introduce greater transparency so that people are made aware of the bills. These instructions will enable people to verify the accuracy of the bills,” said Dr Rao. He warned that any deviation from the instructions would be viewed seriously and action initiated.