THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Soon Covid treatment at government hospitals could be a costly affair for non-BPL (below poverty line) card holders. This after the health department issued a controversial order to fix charges for Covid treatment. Though the order was issued for treating post-Covid conditions, the time period fixed for the treatment has caused confusion as it falls well within the period for Covid treatment.
At present, the Covid treatment is free for all in government hospitals. But the new order fixes charges for both government and private hospitals. If the new order is implemented, patients in wards will be charged Rs 750 per day and those on ventilator support will be charged Rs 2,000 per day in public hospitals.
The definitions of post-Covid syndrome varies across countries. The order issued on August 16, uses the definition of the US government’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to it, post-Covid conditions mean a wide range of new, returning, or ongoing health problems people can experience more than four weeks after first being infected with the coronavirus.
But for fixing the treatment charges, post-Covid syndrome presentation has been defined as “any patient treated for Covid but still requires hospitalisation for symptoms compatible with Covid within three weeks of turning negative”. The criteria of deciding the syndrome within three weeks of turning negative has caused concern among experts.
It has found that most Covid patients test negative in antigen tests done by the 10th day of infection. However, they still have health problems that require continuous hospitalisation for several weeks. Similarly people in home isolation go to hospital only when their condition worsens. But, by then they would be tested negative, even when they are referred to an ICU. There are patients who required prolonged stay on ventilator up to eight weeks.
“Covid patients need more care from the 10th day till the 30th day of infection. It is the period when their condition deteriorates and they may end up on ventilator support. Most deaths happen during the eighth week of infection. The new order does not seems to be realistic to the needs of the people and it is cruel to charge such high rates,” said internal medicine specialist and public health activist Dr N M Arun.
The scientific community has debated over the definitions of post-Covid syndrome. There appears a consensus among them in using the term ‘long Covid’ as signs and symptoms that develop during or after an infection considered Covid, that continue for more than 12 weeks and are not explained by an alternative diagnosis. The symptoms include loss of smell, palpitation, extreme tiredness, problems with memory etc.
Such problems are treated through out patient consultation and it may not require hospital admission, said Dr Arun. The health experts had flagged the unnecessarily cost for keeping all Covid patients including those without symptoms in institutional quarantine for 28 days in the initial days of the pandemic.
Kundara MLA P C Vishnunadh said it is inhuman to charge for treatment for post-Covid syndrome in government hospitals. “Covid is an urgent public health issue. The decision will causes huge burden on people as they are already economically impacted by the pandemic. The government’s decision comes at a time when several states have made Covid treatment and administering of vaccines free of cost even in private sector,” he said.