The Kerala High Court on Wednesday suspended a Kerala government order allowing private hospitals to fix rates for rooms and suites availed by Covid-19-19 patients.
The bench headed by Justice Devan Ramachandran observed that the government order diluted the spirit of HC's earlier directives to fix tariff for Covid-19-19 treatment at private hospitals. "The state government seems to be protecting the interests of private hospitals," the bench said.
It was following the HC's intervention that the state government issued an order in May fixing rates for Covid-19 treatment at private hospitals. But the government recently issued an order allowing private hospitals to fix rates for rooms and suite rooms availed by Covid-19 patients.
The matter came to the HC's notice while considering a petition of private hospitals regarding the cap on Covid-19 treatment rates.
The state government sought one week time for rectifying the flaws in the order. The relaxations to the private hospital were learnt to be given after the court directed the government to look into the plight of private hospital managements.
The court also directed to consider fixing rates for post-Covid-19 ailments.
The HC had earlier welcomed the Kerala government's decision in May to fix rates for Covid-19 treatment at a private hospital. As per the earlier order, the maximum daily rates for Covid-19 treatment at general wards in non-NABH accredited and NABH accredited hospitals was fixed at Rs. 2,645 and Rs. 2,910 respectively. Rates for ICU-Ventilators are fixed at Rs. 13,800 and Rs. 15,180 respectively and medicines and PPE Kits should be charged within the maximum retail prices.