This story is from July 7, 2020

Karnataka: PIL over hospital admission, costs

The Karnataka high court has decided to register as suo motu PILs two letters highlighting Covid-19 patients’ struggle over hospital admission and charges. The letters, written by different people, were addressed to the high court chief justice.
Karnataka: PIL over hospital admission, costs
Karnataka high court (File photo)
BENGALURU: The Karnataka high court has decided to register as suo motu PILs two letters highlighting Covid-19 patients’ struggle over hospital admission and charges. The letters, written by different people, were addressed to the high court chief justice.
The matter will be heard by a designated bench dealing with Covidrelated issues. The state government and BBMP have been issued notices in this regard.
In one letter, city advocate Anu Chengppa has quoted TOI’s news reports on the plight of patients who struggled to get admitted to a hospital, and sought the court’s intervention.
In another letter, the Advocates’ Association of Bengaluru (AAB) has drawn attention to steep charges being collected from Covid-19 patients in ICUs at private hospitals.
“The package for private Covid-19 patients directly admitted to hospital is fixed at a very high rate, making it unaffordable for the middle class. The charge for ICU without a ventilator is fixed at Rs 15,000 and the hospital can claim it to be a single room and charge 25 per cent extra, which brings it up to almost Rs 20,000,” the letter states.
It adds: “The charge for isolation in ICU with a ventilator is Rs 25,000. It is clear that the government has failed to take into account the needs of poorer sections and lower middle class in the prevailing economic situation and has acted to their detriment and to the benefit of hospitals.”
End of Article
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA