KOCHI: The High Court on Wednesday directed the state government to clarify why a separate order was issued on post-Covid treatment charges when the deaths of patients occuring 30 days after testing negative are treated as due to the pandemic. On the parity of reasons, the treatment — for the same period — after patients turn negative should also be deemed Covid treatment, the court said. The court observed orally that the pandemic is “spreading like wildfire” in the state.
As per the government order, for post-Covid syndrome care, people in the above poverty line category will be charged Rs 750 a day for wards, Rs 1,250 for treatment in high dependency units, Rs 1,500 for ICU care and Rs 2,000 for ICU plus ventilator care. A division bench comprising Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice Kauser Edappagath issued the order when a review petition on the treatment charges in private hospitals came up for hearing.
“How can you say that a person who became negative today has to pay a higher amount tomorrow though he has Covid-related complications? You will have to explain what the post-Covid treatment is and what the time frame,” the court told the government pleader.
‘APL category patients have to bear treatment cost’
Kochi: Senior government pleader S Kannan said that the government had issued an order fixing rates for treatment of post- Covid syndrome, a multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children and adults, and Covid-associated mucormycosis/Covid-associated pulmonary aspergillosis to streamline the rates for post-Covid treatment. Patients in the APL category have to bear the treatment cost.
Through the order, the government ensured that private hospitals did not charge exorbitant rates for treatment from APL category patients, he submitted. The treatment for Covid complications is free for all BPL, KASP and KBF beneficiaries in govt hospitals. Hence, the poor can avail of the free treatment for post- Covid complications at government hospitals, Kannan said.
Vaccine policy: Centre moves HC against order
Kochi: The Centre approached the High Court seeking to set aside a single judge order that directed it to allow the second dose of Covishield after four weeks instead of the stipulated 84-day gap. The judge had also asked the Centre to make changes to the CoWIN app to enable a reduced dose gap.
Covid spread under control in state, says CM
T’Puram: Covid spread is being brought under control, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said. The average number of active cases between September 15 and 21 was 1,78,363. Of them, only two per cent required oxygen beds and one per cent needed ICU admission.