Team Herald
PANJIM: Cardiac monitoring, liver function test, use of infusion pump, complete blood count test are among the additional vital interventions that have been introduced under the partly revised rates capped for treatment of COVID-19 patients in private hospitals by the State government.
The government is also contemplating bringing treatment for coronavirus under its cashless insurance scheme – Deen Dayal Swasthya Seva Yojana (DDSSY) – for people to avail its benefits in private hospitals.
Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant was forced to intervene and revise the rates that had been capped by the expert committee for private hospitals following a backlash from the people and the opposition for the high prices.
As per the revised rates, the rent for a bed in a general ward of a private hospital would be Rs 10,000 per day as against the earlier charges of Rs 12,000 per day.
The rates for rooms – on a twin sharing basis – have now been capped at Rs 13,000 as against Rs 15,000 per day and Rs 16,000 per day is the limit set for a single private room, which was earlier fixed at Rs 18,000 per day.
The patient will have to shell out Rs 24,000 per day for a bed in the ICU with a ventilator. The earlier charges were Rs 25,000 per day.
The government has now included in the package intensivist, primary and specialist consultant charges, cardiac monitor, infusion pump, X Ray, USG, liver function test, complete blood count test, 2D Echo, Catheterization, sugar test, etc. These interventions had been initially excluded from the package.
Further, other regular expenses like admissions, bed charges, nursing services, resident doctor fee, nutritional diet, PPE kits for the staff and routinely prescribed medicines including multivitamin, Zinc, Vitamin D and C, paracetamol, etc are included in the rates.
The package, however, does not include diagnostic interventions, special drugs, use of special equipment, other special procedures like surgery and extra oxygen flow other than ICU.
The Chief Minister on Tuesday held a meeting with Health Minister Vishwajit Rane and other officials to review the health insurance scheme.
Emerging from the meeting, Rane said the government is considering bringing COVID treatment under DDSSY. “The department has been asked to study the matter and put up a proposal accordingly,” he said, adding that people can take advantage of DDSSY for treatment in private hospitals.
Stating that the new revised rates have been approved by the Chief Minister, Rane said that more interventions have been added under the package for the benefit of patients. “Government is committed to controlling COVID-19 but more focus is to curb the mortality,” Rane said.
The Health Minister said that Wards 113 and 115 of Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC) would be further converted into COVID wards, which will add up another 60 beds.
He said that the beds, which are reserved for COVID-19 patients at GMC and Ponda Sub District Hospital, are full. GMC has reserved 227 beds for COVID-19 patients.
The minister said that the State government is trying its best to increase the bed capacity in the State-run facilities.
He added that the government will soon be issuing new protocols for home isolation so that more asymptomatic patients can go for it.
