Honour PM's birthday; subsidise Covid-19 treatment at private hospitals in Goa, says Opposition

The main Opposition party in Goa, the Congress, on Thursday, goaded the ruling BJP-led coalition government to honour Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 70th birthday by subsidising the exorbitant prices charged by private hospitals in Goa for Covid-19 treatment.

State Congress president Girish Chodankar also said that the prices capped by the state government for Covid-19 treatment in private hospitals were also extremely steep and "with a one-point agenda of making business from people's sickness".

"In these critical times of Covid-19 pandemic, the BJP government has once again displayed its insensitive nature towards common man and its love for crony capitalists by approving huge charges for Covid-19 treatment in private hospitals," Chodankar said in a statement issued here on Thursday.

"The BJP government under Dr. Pramod Sawant must immediately either take over private hospitals treating Covid-19 patients or announce subsidised charges for patients in private hospitals to mark the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji and prove intentions of the BJP to provide 'seva' to the people of Goa," the state Congress president also said.

The BJP has launched a pan India 'seva saptah', a weeklong campaign to celebrate the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who turns 70 on Thursday.

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On Monday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had announced capping of prices for Covid-19 treatment in private hospitals.

According to the capped price structure, private hospitals in the state can charge up to Rs. 12,000 per day for treatment in a general ward, Rs. 15,000 for a twin shared room, Rs. 18,000 per day for a private room facility, with prices for ICU facilities capped at Rs. 25,000 per day.

The seemingly steep capped prices, however, have attracted criticism from Opposition parties like the Congress as well as civil society groups, which have alleged that the capped prices were out of the reach of the common man.

"Now, it is the duty of the government to ensure that Covid-19 patients are provided health care with affordable rates," he also said.

Goa has so far recorded 25,511 confirmed Covid-19 cases. 315 who had tested positive have died in Goa ever since the pandemic broke out.