Unauthorised hospitals admit Covid patients

Tribune News Service

Patiala, April 18

Amid the rapid surge of infection and prevailing apprehensions about Covid care in government hospitals, several private hospitals and clinics, which don’t have authorisation, are admitting suspected Covid patients.

Hefty amounts being charged

Private Covid-dedicated hospitals are said to have been charging hefty amounts ranging from Rs5 to Rs10 lakh per patient. Moreover, many hospitals do not admit serious patients just to avoid bad name in case of death.

It has been learnt that these private hospitals and clinics are admitting patients on the basis of clinical observation and don’t conduct the Covid tests, thereby posing a risk to the hospitalised patients with other ailments. Sources said conducting the Covid tests might invite action by the Health Department.

The matter came to the fore when a patient sought approval from the Health Department to get shifted from the dedicated Covid hospital to an unauthorised Covid hospital.

“They do not conduct the Covid tests because it may leak information to the department. Without conducting RT-PCR tests, they tell patients that they are positive merely on the basis of chest reports or some symptoms,” said a health official.

Meantime, following the sudden increasing in the number of Covid patients, many private hospitals have already applied for authorisation to admit corona patients.

Dr Sumeet Singh, District Epidemiologist, said: “We have received many applications from private hospitals. However, approval will be given to hospitals after inspection. “

The Civil Surgeon, Dr Satinder Singh, said: “The list of Covid-authorised private hospitals is repeatedly shared by both the Health department and the district administration. We are going to take action against unauthorised private hospitals and clinics soon.”

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