Letter to BS: It's right to ask pvt hospitals to share Covid treatment cost

The Supreme Court has rightly questioned private hospitals for not giving free Covid treatment. The growing number of cases has crippled government hospitals. There is a need for the private hospitals to coordinate with the government to tide over the crisis. The Bench, headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde, has asked the government to identify and prepare a list of hospitals where Covid patients can be treated free of cost. 

At least, the private hospitals can waive consultation, laboratory and ward charges. The cost of medicines can be borne by the patients. In government hospitals also, at least 25 per cent of the cost of treatment and medicines should be borne by the patients. Then people will be careful enough to stay away from infected people. Since the government has been bearing the treatment cost, some people are not following the guidelines. In many places, Covid warriors have also been attacked.

Also, it is unfair to expect private hospitals to attend only to the Covid patients. Those suffering from other diseases should not be neglected. As things stand now, other patients have been badly neglected with some fatalities as well.

K V Seetharamaiah  Hassan

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