Delhi LG remarks 'COVID treatment made affordable' as Home Ministry caps hospital charges

Delhi LG Anil Baijal remarked that COVID treatment has been made 'affordable' in the national capital with the guidance of the Home Minister. This comes after the Ministry of Home Affairs informed that Amit Shah had constituted a committee under Member of Niti Aayog to fix the rates charged by private hospitals for isolation beds, ICUs without ventilator support and ICUs with ventilator support.

The Home Ministry informed on Friday that the committee recommended Rs 8000-10000, Rs 13000-15000 and Rs 15000-18000 including PPE costs for isolation bed, ICUs without and with ventilator respectively to all hospitals as compared to the current charges of Rs 24000-25000, Rs 34000-43000 and Rs 44000-54000 (excluding PPE cost). 

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Delhi: Testing capped at Rs 2400

The Delhi government has also directed to cap the COVID testing rate at Rs 2400, as per Home Minister Amit Shah's directive. Moreover, testing too has been doubled from 4000-5000 daily to 16,618 samples in two days - June 15 and 16, stated the MHA. While reports of 6510 have been received, the remaining will be received by 18 June. Delhi is the third to cap testing rates after Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

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The MHA has also stated that from 18 June, Delhi will be given priority to test COVID-19 patients via Rapid Antigen method, approved by ICMR. The apex science council has stated that negative results of the antigen must be confirmed by RT-PCR tests.

Baijal revokes 5-day quarantine order 

In face of stiff opposition from the Delhi government on his '5-day institutional quarantine', Delhi's Lieutenant governor Anil Baijal, on Saturday, rolled back his order. The decision was taken in the second meeting held between the L-G and ministers on Saturday. Baijal stated that only those people who 'do not have adequate facilities for home isolation' will undergo institutional isolation.

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