Hyderabad: Private hospitals in districts piqued over sidelining by government for talks

Hyderabad: Private hospitals from districts are not unhappy with the Health department sidelining them and inviting only corporate hospitals from Hyderabad while taking key decisions concerning covid treatment in their hospitals. They rued over no invitation extended to them while holding fresh discussions on taking over 50 per cent beds in private hospitals.

It may be noted that at present 120 private hospitals from the State were given permission to treat covid patients. The list includes private hospitals from various districts namely Warangal, Karimnagar, Mancherial, Medchal, Nizamabad, Sangareddy apart from noted corporate hospitals from the State capital.

The other day Health Minister Eatala Rajender held discussions with the Super-specialty Hospitals Association representing mostly the 20-odd corporate hospitals in twin-cities. Commenting on this Telangana Hospitals And Nursing Homes Association (THANA) president Dr Ashok Reddy said that they are clueless on 50 percent beds issue.

"Our view was not taken while fixing treatment charges earlier and even now when discussions are going on about the Health department taking over 50 per cent of beds in private hospitals," Dr. Ashok Reddy said.

According to an executive member of the hospitals association, private hospitals from districts might not be averse to the idea of handing over some beds to the Health department.

However, supply of PPE kits and consumables and if needed deploying healthcare workers from the government to private hospitals facing staff shortage has to be taken care of by the Health department if it wishes to take control of beds in private hospitals, the member said.

Senior officials of the Health department held discussions to finalize modalities on Friday, but the talks ended in an impasse over some demands raised by the corporate hospitals. Another round of discussions is scheduled for Monday.

Thousand-odd complaints that the Health department received on exorbitant charges collected from patients were confined mostly to the Corporate hospitals in twin cities and very few from districts.