High-level panel recommends slashing COVID-19 hospital charges by over 50% in Delhi

A high-level panel has recommended bringing down the charges for COVID-19 treatment in private hospitals in the national capital by more than half with charges for isolation beds being capped at Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000, ICU beds Rs 13000-15000 and ICU beds with ventilators at Rs 15,000-18,000, which also includes the charges for Personal Protection Equipment (PPE).

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In comparison, the existing rates for an isolation bed is Rs 24,000-25,000, ICU bed is Rs 34,000-43,000 and ICU beds with ventilators Rs 44,000-53,000, which does not include the charges for PPE.

This was recommended by the panel headed by NITI Ayog member Dr V K Paul. The panel was appointed last Sunday after a meeting Home Minister Amit Shah had with Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on the worsening coronavirus situation in the capital.

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Earlier this week, the Delhi government had issued an order capping the rate of COVID-19 tests at Rs 2,400 following the recommendation of the Dr Paul committee.

The intensive house-to-house survey, a decision taken on Sunday, in 243 containment zones for contact mapping concluded on Thursday during which 2.3 lakh people were surveyed.

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A Ministry of Home Affairs spokesperson said the increase in testing capacity and quick delivery of results through Rapid Antigen testing methodology was started on Thursday and 7040 people have been tested in 193 testing centres. Testing will continue with increased numbers in the coming days, he said.

In view of another decision to increase testing samples, the spokesperson said "a total of testing samples of 27,263 have been collected in Delhi from June 15 to 17 against the daily collection which varied between 4,000-4,500 earlier."

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Except for one day between June 1 and June 14, the number of samples tested in the capital was over 4,750 a day, according to medical bulletins issued by Delhi government.