THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After facing criticism from the Kerala High Court for allowing private hospitals to decide on room rent charged from Covid patients, the state government has reintroduced the price capping. As per the new order, the private hospitals can charge Rs 2,645 to Rs 2,910 for general wards and Rs 5,290-9,776 for private rooms depending on the category of hospital.The hospitals have been classified into two broad categories based on their accreditation and total bed capacity.
A 100-bed hospital without National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) accreditation can charge Rs 2,645 per day from a patient admitted in the general ward. At the same time, an NABH-accredited hospital can charge 10% more (up to Rs 2,910) for the same facility. The rate changes for the hospital with a bed capacity of 100-300 and those above 300.
The government fixed the rates to be charged by private hospitals and private nursing homes from walk-in Covid patients (other than Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhathi beneficiaries and government-referred patients), after several complaints were raised of fleecing during the pandemic in May. But it later allowed private hospitals to decide on the room rent after the managements complained aganst fixing uniform rates. When it was challenged in the court, the state faced criticism from the bench.
HIGH COURT GIVES NOD TO NEW GOVERNMENT ORDER
Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Thursday allowed the operation of the new order issued by the state government on July 7 fixing the room rents in private hospitals for Covid treatment. The court noted that the latest order was issued after addressing all the issues raised by the Kerala Private Hospital Association and the proposal submitted by the state health agency regarding Covid treatment charges in private hospitals. Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice Kauser Edappagath while allowing the operation of the new order set aside the earlier government order dated June 16 allowing private hospitals to fix on their own room rents for Covid patients.