Resentment is brewing among the doctors of government hospitals in Kerala as private hospitals are yet to start Covid-19 treatment while the cases are skyrocketing.
Though the Kerala government has fixed rates for Covid-19 treatment by private hospitals and the private hospitals agreed to it, the private hospitals are yet to treat Covid-19 patients. Lack of sufficient infrastructure, apprehension among staff and stigma of non-Covid-19 patients are the major hurdles being cited by the private hospitals.
The government doctors are now expecting steps from the government to make private hospitals handle Covid-19 treatment.
Kerala has a large network of over 3,500 private hospitals. The Kerala government fixed daily rates starting from Rs 2,300 for general wards to Rs 11,500 for ICU ventilator for Covid-19 treatment at private hsotpitals.
Kerala Government Medical Officers Association state president Dr Joseph Chacko said that it was high time that the private hospitals were also made to treat Covid-19 patients as the workload of the government hospitals were increasing, and doctors and medical staff were getting stressed up.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Thursday that discussions were still going on with the private hospitals to make use of their service for Covid-19 treatment.
Kerala Private Medical College Management Association president Dr Navas K M said that even as the many private hospitals were initially reluctant to take Covid-19 patients owing to practical difficulties, now most hospitals were setting up facilities for Covid-19 treatment.
Dr E K Ramachandran of the Kerala Private Hospitals Association said that since many government hospitals were now made Covid-19 care centres, and private hospitals were offering treatment for non-Covid-19 patients at many places.
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