Centre slashes rates of ICU beds in Delhi's private hospitals for treating COVID patients

A committee which was constituted by Home Minister Amit Shah under a senior NITI Aayog official on Friday fixed rates to be charged by private hospitals in Delhi for isolation beds, ICUs without ventilator support and ICUs with ventilator support for COVID-19 patients.

revised rates include PPE costs

As per Home Ministry, against current aver charges of Rs 24,000-25,000, 34,000-43,000, and 44,000-54,000 for se three categories respectively,  Committee has recommended rates of Rs 8,000-10,000, 13,000-15,000, and 15,000-18,000 respectively for isolation beds, ICUs w/o ventilators and ICUs with ventilators depending on wher private hospital is NABH (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers) accredited or t.

se rates include PPE costs, while rates being charged by private hospitals, as mentioned earlier, are without PPE costs. This comes after  Centre on Thursday pitched for a unified strategy for Delhi and its satellite cities to tackle coronavirus pandemic, while city government ramped up COVID-19 diagsis by commencing testing through rapid antigen method.

While reviewing Coronavirus situation in Delhi-NCR, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said satellite cities like Gurgaon, ida and Ghaziabad cant be separated from national capital in this battle. Besides Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava, senior officials of NCR districts and Ministries of Home and Health and ICMR attended meeting.

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On meeting by Shah with officials of Delhi-NCR, a home ministry statement said minister said an expert committee decided rates for COVID-19 beds and treatment in Delhi, and se could be applied in hospitals in NCR cities after consultations.

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Shah also directed officials from UP and Haryana governments to submit information about COVID-19 beds, ventilators, oxygen cylinders, ICU and ambulances available with m and ir plan to augment se resources by July 15 to Union Home Ministry so that a common strategy can be devised in NCR in battle against virus, statement said.

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Delhi conducts 20,000 COVID-19 tests 

As many as 20,000 samples were tested in national capital on Thursday, which is highest number of tests conducted in country in a day, ANI reported quoting Delhi government sources. Taking to Twitter, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said more testing will be done in coming days.

Delhi has reported 49,979 COVID-19 cases, including 1,969 deaths, as per Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

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(With ncy inputs)