HYDERABAD: The new GO that caps rates for Covid-19 treatment at private hospitals in the State has fixed rates for ambulances too. For ambulances operated by private operators, the rates are fixed at Rs 75/km with basic life support system, whereas those with advance life support system would be priced at Rs 125/km. The minimum charge for the two kinds of ambulances will be Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000, respectively.
However, as per point no. 6 of the GO, the mentioned rates are not applicable to patients availing insurance schemes as well as patients being treated under various agreements and MoUs. This means that a majority of people who have insured themselves for smaller coverage rates of Rs 3-Rs 7 lakh will get negligible benefits from using the insurance, as it was seen during the second wave that hospital bills for Covid patients on an average were around Rs 10 lakh or above.
Furthermore, the new GO makes no mention of the rates of oxygen chargeable to patients. The GO has not included it under the room charges and has not mentioned it under the exclusion category as well, raising concerns of overpricing of oxygen.