Seeking to use private hospitals' "untilised" beds reserved for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) of the society, Delhi government today directed its hospitals to refer their patients to private ones.
According to health department statistics, in 41 private hospitals, there are a total of 623 EWS beds and occupancy is less than 35-40 per cent for various reasons.
"We did a review of status of beds reserved for EWS in private hospitals and found maximum beds were lying vacant. So we have made a new scheme and instructed government hospitals to refer their patients to private hospitals," Delhi Health Minister, Satyendra Jain, told reporters.
Government has asked private hospitals for strict compliance to fill the beds reserved for poor people.
"Under fresh scheme if the occupancy of EWS beds in private hospitals is less than 80 per cent then strict action will be taken against them. I expect it to go beyond 90 per cent," Jain said.
Similarly, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital has 239 beds, reserved for EWS for free treatmnet, but most of them are vacant, the government claimed.
"The occupancy in Apollo is around 8 per cent. It has also come to our notice that poor patients are denied free medicines and consumables at the hospitals, resulting into less occupancy. So, we have decided to offer medicines at cheaper rate to EWS. We will make adequate arrangemnets for it," Jain said.
One of the major reasons for downfall of occupancy was lack of patient welfare officers in private hospitals. So, government will soon appoint 85 patient welfare officers.
These officers will be manning helpdesks, identifying EWS patients and facilitating their referral while also assisting the public in getting information on health services.
The system of PWO was introduced on the direction of Delhi High Court but most of the positions are lying vacant and private hospitals hardly attempt to oblige them.
Government is trying to strictly enforce, online status of beds reserved for EWS for monitoring the referral of eligible patients for free treatment from government hospitals to identified private hospitals.
