Telangana government talks with hospital managements hit roadblock

Hyderabad: Telangana health department's discussions with corporate hospital managements to finalise modalities for taking over 50 percent of beds for Covid treatment ended in a deadlock on Friday.

Corporate hospital managements are understood to have put forward a list of demands before the health department much to the surprise of the senior officials. So nothing was finalised and it was decided to hold another round of discussions on Monday.

Sources stated that corporate hospitals wanted the health department to give them a free hand as far as the treatment offered in the rest of the 50 per cent of beds that will be with them. Also, managements sought modifications in the earlier G.O to this effect. The beds to be given to the health department have to be filled by poor patients and those from BPL families only, hospital representatives stressed.

Also, private managements wanted the department to give clarity on 50 percent of beds as some big hospitals have allocated hundreds of beds for Covid treatment while some others have earmarked just double-digit numbers. Fifty percent rule has to be relaxed for big hospitals, they said.

Senior health officials will now have to discuss the demands of hospitals with the Health Minister before the next round of meeting.