Minister lauds role of private hospitals in pandemic fight

Shilpa P | NT

Responding to a story in News Trail on problems faced by private hospitals during the Covid pandemic, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr K Sudhakar has acknowledged the contribution of private healthcare centres in handling the pandemic, and assured that the government will address their concerns.

In his written statement to News Trail, Dr Sudhakar stated: “Private hospitals have been our invaluable partners in this collective battle against the pandemic. Be it testing, treatment or vaccination, the private sector’s contribution has been truly commendable.”

Further, on the problems faced by private hospitals, he stated: “The cost of treatment packages of patients referred by the government under various schemes are decided by an expert committee. The costs for various procedures are periodically reviewed by the committee. As far as the GST is concerned, it is a collective decision taken by all states and centres in the GST council. Be it reducing custom duty, the GST or capping prices of equipment, our government will always try to address concerns of the private sector (hospitals).”

During the interaction, these corona warriors of private hospitals of Mysuru had highlighted that during the pandemic, the cost of consumables at hospitals multiplied manifold. The cost of medical equipment, including ventilators and oxygen plants, had tripled.

And they had urged the government to fix the cost of packages for treatment of patients referred by the government under Arogya Karnataka scheme to private hospitals scientifically, after a costing audit, after consulting with an adequate number of representatives, and that they should provide timely reimbursement.

The cost of oxygen plants must be regulated and they should subsidise these plants. They should also cap prices of medical equipment and consumables, reduce custom duty on imported goods like vital lifesaving equipment, reduce their tax, and GST for capital goods. Followed by an interaction with President of The Mysore Association of Hospitals, Nursing Homes and Diagnostic Centres, Dr Javeed Nayeem and their executive committee members, News Trail had on Saturday done a story on problems faced by private hospitals during the Covid pandemic.