NEW DELHI: The AAP-led Delhi government has decided to take action against any private hospitals or nursing homes including cancelling licence if they refuse to treat any patient in serious health condition on pretext of COVID-19.
“Several registered nursing homes/private hospitals, equipped with dialysis machines and having a functional dialysis unit are denying maintenance haemodialysis services to patients of End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). The hospital authorities are compelling patients to furnish COVID-19 negative test report before they are admitting them in their nursing homes/private hospitals and as a result of which ESRD patients are not being dialysed leading to life threatening consequences,” read an order issued by the DGHS under state health department.
The order further read that no guidelines have been issued by the government regarding mandatory testing of dialysis patients for COVID-19 and requirement of a negative test report prior to such treatment.In case, any patient who is undergoing dialysis is tested positive, the hospital or the nursing home should not shut down its dialysis unit beyond one day.
“In case, it is found that a registered nursing home/private has denied emergent medical care including dialysis, to a serious patient on the pretext that such patient is not carrying a covid19 negative test report, the DGHS will take action including cancellation of registration on the grounds of violation of clause,” the letter further read. As of now, the state government has not issued any letter of warning or cancelled license of any private hospital.
Recently, there have been cases where patients had suffered owing to non-availability of dialysis. A 42-year-old dialytic woman lost her life after a private hospital suddenly shut its services and other hospitals too refused to admit her without test reports.