Panel formed to investigate plaints against pvt hospitals

Sanjay Bumbroo
Tribune News Service
Mohali, May 10

Concerned over fleecing of Covid patients by private hospitals in Mohali, the district administration today constituted a two-member committee to enquire into the complaints against hospitals.

Disclosing this, Deputy Commissioner Girish Dayalan said the two-member committee comprising of representative of the local SDM and the Civil Surgeon would enquire into the complaints and recommend a suitable action.

Patients should not be refused admission for want of ICU bed, says Mohali DC

Deputy Commissioner Girish Dayalan reiterated that patients should not be refused admission for want of an ICU bed. The administration was aware that due to a spike in Covid cases, ICU beds in all hospitals were operating at full capacity. In some hospitals, at times, patients were being refused admission for want of an ICU bed even when ward beds with oxygen were available. This could lead to loss of critical time in which the patient could have been administered oxygen and the related care, thereby saving his/her life.

He said all hospitals in the district were advised and warned to stick to the Covid-19 treatment rate capping as affixed by the state government. They were duty bound to take action against the defaulters.

Dayalan said: “Private hospitals should not fleece Covid patients as these are testing times not only for our healthcare system but also a test of our moral scruples and let us give the best of both”.

He said the district administration had received complaints that some hospitals in the district were overcharging patients. Despite whatsoever pressure the health facilities were facing, administration could not ignore patients’ complaints.

Dayalan reiterated that patients should may not be refused admission for want of an ICU bed. The administration was aware that due to a spike in Covid cases, ICU beds in all hospitals were operating at full capacity. In some hospitals, at times, patients were being refused admission for want of an ICU bed even when ward beds with oxygen were available. This could lead to loss of critical time in which the patient could have been administered oxygen and the related care, thereby saving his/her life.

The Deputy Commissioner said the Punjab Clinical Establishment Act, 2020, in Section 21 also prevents any hospital from discriminating against Covid patients in accessing admission to the clinical establishment. It is, therefore, advised that hospitals should not hesitate in admit such patients in a ward with oxygen, with the consent of the patient’s family, while they await an ICU bed.

RT-PCR test at Max Hospital at govt rates

A molecular lab has been set up at Max Hospital, Mohali, where RT-PCR test will be done at government rates. People will now get the Covid report within 24 hours as against over 48 hours earlier. Samples for Covid-19 tests were earlier sent to Delhi for testing. TNS

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