Hyderabad, Sep 10 (IANS): The Telangana government on Thursday formed a three-member Task Force to oversee the working of private hospitals in treatment of Covid.
The Task Force comprises Rahul Bojja, Sarfaraz Ahmad and D. Divya, all Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officials.
Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar issued a Government Order (GO) in this regard, a day after Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao announced in the Assembly that a task force will be constituted to monitor the treatment of Covid-19 patients in corporate hospitals in view of large number of complaints of exorbitant bills.
The task force will verify if the private hospitals are adhering to the maximum rates stipulated by the government. It will also check if the private hospitals are also adhering to Covid-19 treatment and safety protocols.
The panel will submit its report to the Chief Secretary from time to time.
The government in June and July had issued two GOs, specifying the maximum rates chargeable by private hospitals for various services provided by them for the treatment of Covid-19.
It was also stipulated that the private hospitals shall display the rates fixed by the government at prominent places in their premises. The private hospitals were also asked to explain to the patient/relatives about charges for various services.
The GO noted that complaints are being received from time to time about non-adherence to the maximum rates chargeable by private hospitals as per the earlier GOs. Complaints were also received about non-adherence to Covid-19 treatment/safety protocols, etc.
"The matter has been examined by the government in light of provisions of applicable laws including the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. After careful consideration, it is decided to constitute a Task Force at the state level to oversee the working of private hospitals in treatment of Covid-19," reads the GO.
Replying to a discussion on Covid-19 situation in the Assembly on Wednesday, the Chief Minister made the announcement of a task force when Congress leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka raised the issue of private hospitals collecting exorbitant charges.
Rao said a task force will release weekly reports which will also be sent to the leaders of main opposition parties in the state to create wider social awareness about "their (hospitals) cruel ways of extorting money from victims of the pandemic".
The Chief Minister said anticipating such a situation, he tried to stop the corporate sector entering Covid treatment but the government was left with no option after the court gave the permission.
He said now that it has been established that they have been extorting money in the name of treatment that too in these troubled times, the government has decided to take stern action.
"Is this the time for corporate hospitals to make money out of the misery of people?" he asked.