NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has directed city’s private hospitals and nursing homes with a capacity of 50 beds or more to reserve 20 per cent of their total bed strength for coronavirus patients.Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Sunday tweeted an order issued by the DGHS which states that ten private hospitals have been declared as COVID-19 dedicated hospitals for admitting confirmed/ suspected cases of coronavirus on payment basis.
“It has been found that in that the majority of beds earmarked for COVID-19 patients in the dedicated private hospitals are occupied at any given time. Therefore, there is a need to increase the number of beds dedicated for COVID-19 patients in the private hospitals in the city,” a government order said.
To increase the bed capacity for COVID-19 patients, all 117 nursing homes/private hospitals with 50 beds or more are directed to reserve/ earmark at least 20 per cent of their total bed strength for COVID-19 patients, it added.
These 117 private hospitals shall bill the COVID-19 patients as per their respective schedule of charges, the order said.“However, the billing for non-COVID patients admitted on extra beds shall not be more than 50 per cent of the lowest economy category of the hospital concerned as per earlier practise during upsurge of cases of vector-borne diseases,” it added.
Currently, there are eight private hospitals providing Covid-19 services and seven government hospitals — run by state and Centre with 1,995 patients admitted. More than 100 are admitted in dedicated healthcare centres and 490 are kept at Covid Care centres. As many as 3,314 patients are in home isolation.Meanwhile two more areas have been contained while seven areas were de-sealed in the city.
‘Bill Covid-19 patients as per usual charges’
The 117 private hospitals shall bill the COVID-19 patients as per their respective schedule of charges, the government order said. “The billing for non-COVID patients admitted on extra beds shall not be more than 50 per cent of the lowest economy category of the hospital concerned,” it added.