BENGALURU: The state health department, through its Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust (SAST), has cleared a whopping `779.834 crore (`779,83,40,000) to private hospitals across the state for treatment of 2,39,736 Covid patients under Ayushman Bharat Arogya Karnataka(ABArK) scheme throughout the three Covid waves, said health Commissioner D Randeep.
During the first Covid wave, the health department has paid Rs 391.26 crore to private hospitals for treating 1,17,930 patients from March 2020 to March 2021. For treatment of 1,14,690 patients from April 2021 to December 2021, the department has cleared bills of Rs 376.76 crore of private hospitals during the second wave, and during the third wave, bills of Rs 11.80 crore was cleared for treating 7,116 patients. The department is yet to clear Rs 2.83 crore to private hospitals for treating 653 more Covid patients since April this year.
“Since ABArK covered all citizens irrespective of their financial status, most patients were referred from government to private hospitals for treatment. Those in private hospitals have later received free treatment under ABArk by getting a letter from the district health officers,” stakeholders of private hospitals said.
They pointed out, “The cost of packages for treatment of patients referred by government under ABArk to private hospitals should be fixed/capped scientifically, after a costing audit and consultation with representatives of private stakeholders.
They must cap cost of consumables at hospitals, medical equipments like ventilators which have skyrocketed after pandemic. Taxes should be cut or GST for capital goods or custom duty should be cut for imported goods like life-saving equipments,” they said.