<p> Even though patients find it difficult to find beds in government hospitals due to overcrowding, several beds reserved for the poor are not being utilised in private hospitals. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Patients belonging to the economically weaker section (EWS) can claim free treatment at 43 identified private hospitals in the city. <br /><br />These hospitals have 10 per cent quota for indoor patient department and 25 per cent quota for outdoor patient department. <br /><br />However, the real-time data on Sunday evening showed several such beds were left unoccupied in these private hospitals. <br /><br />In some hospitals, the number of vacant beds ranged between 11-33. “Several patients are denied treatment by these hospitals which claim there are no free beds. I have received several cases in which the patients have been admitted, but the hospital has denied free medicines or diagnostic services,” said Ashok Agarwal, Member, EWS Monitoring Committee.<br /><br />However, poor utilisation of such beds is also because the government hospitals fail to effectively monitor the situation. <br /><br />While patients can avail the service on their own too, the services are better utilised when government hospitals divert patient load taking the coordination upon themselves. <br /><br />“The hospitals are faring better than before,” said Dr R N Das, a senior official of the Directorate of Health Services (DHS). <br /><br />The health department had earlier appointed patient welfare officers (PWOs) to encourage full utilisation of the beds reserved for the poor in private hospitals. It was, however, a pilot project. <br /><br />Data on beds<br /><br />According to the real-time data on Sunday at 7.15 pm, Batra Hospital had 33 beds vacant, Dharamshila Hospital had 17 vacant beds, Shanti Mukund had 11 beds lying unoccupied, B L Kapoor Memorial Hospital had 40 such beds, Bensups had 11 beds and Max Balaji 24 beds under the quota lying vacant, among other hospitals. <br /><br />Another contention of the private hospitals has been the government hospitals do not refer enough patients for the utilisation of services.<br /><br />“Some of these hospitals like Batra, Bensups, Shanti Mukund, B L Kapoor Memorial, Dharamshila are regular defaulters,” said Agarwal.<br /><br />According to a senior health official, Shanti Mukund was issued a showcause notice by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for turning away poor patients. <br /><br />Only the land allotment agency can take the final call on cancelling the lease deed or issuing a show cause notice to the private hospital if it is not treating patients belonging to the economically weaker section category.<br />DH News Service</p>
<p> Even though patients find it difficult to find beds in government hospitals due to overcrowding, several beds reserved for the poor are not being utilised in private hospitals. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Patients belonging to the economically weaker section (EWS) can claim free treatment at 43 identified private hospitals in the city. <br /><br />These hospitals have 10 per cent quota for indoor patient department and 25 per cent quota for outdoor patient department. <br /><br />However, the real-time data on Sunday evening showed several such beds were left unoccupied in these private hospitals. <br /><br />In some hospitals, the number of vacant beds ranged between 11-33. “Several patients are denied treatment by these hospitals which claim there are no free beds. I have received several cases in which the patients have been admitted, but the hospital has denied free medicines or diagnostic services,” said Ashok Agarwal, Member, EWS Monitoring Committee.<br /><br />However, poor utilisation of such beds is also because the government hospitals fail to effectively monitor the situation. <br /><br />While patients can avail the service on their own too, the services are better utilised when government hospitals divert patient load taking the coordination upon themselves. <br /><br />“The hospitals are faring better than before,” said Dr R N Das, a senior official of the Directorate of Health Services (DHS). <br /><br />The health department had earlier appointed patient welfare officers (PWOs) to encourage full utilisation of the beds reserved for the poor in private hospitals. It was, however, a pilot project. <br /><br />Data on beds<br /><br />According to the real-time data on Sunday at 7.15 pm, Batra Hospital had 33 beds vacant, Dharamshila Hospital had 17 vacant beds, Shanti Mukund had 11 beds lying unoccupied, B L Kapoor Memorial Hospital had 40 such beds, Bensups had 11 beds and Max Balaji 24 beds under the quota lying vacant, among other hospitals. <br /><br />Another contention of the private hospitals has been the government hospitals do not refer enough patients for the utilisation of services.<br /><br />“Some of these hospitals like Batra, Bensups, Shanti Mukund, B L Kapoor Memorial, Dharamshila are regular defaulters,” said Agarwal.<br /><br />According to a senior health official, Shanti Mukund was issued a showcause notice by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for turning away poor patients. <br /><br />Only the land allotment agency can take the final call on cancelling the lease deed or issuing a show cause notice to the private hospital if it is not treating patients belonging to the economically weaker section category.<br />DH News Service</p>
