Private hospitals in Telangana under scanner

Cancels permission of one to treat Covid patients, serves notice to three others

Hyderabad: Sending out a strong signal to private hospitals who were allegedly exploiting vulnerable patients, the State government on Tuesday cancelled the permission of a private hospital in Madhapur to treat Covid-19 patients and served show-cause notices to three private hospitals in Secunderabad, Nagole and Basheerbagh, which were treating Covid patients.

So far, the State government has received 26 complaints against private hospitals in Hyderabad from patients and their relatives. Majority of the complaints were related to inflated medical bills, hospitals insisting on lump sum deposits before admissions, refusal to accept health insurance, credit cards and refusing to release bodies until pending medical bills were cleared.

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“We have cancelled permission to treat Covid patients for one hospital and served notices to three other hospitals. At present, we don’t want to reveal names of the hospitals but warn all private hospitals not to exploit vulnerable patients,” Director of Public Health Dr G Srinivasa Rao said at a press conference here on Tuesday.

Patients and their relatives must also realise that Covid treatment at private hospitals is expensive. “If you go to a private hospital, then you must accept it will be a costly affair. On a number of occasions, we have urged them (private hospitals) to be fair in their billing practices and not to exploit the vulnerability of the patients. The State government is making a lot of effort to ensure all possible treatment facilities are available in government hospitals. I urge patients to first opt for government hospitals and access all facilities free of cost,” Dr Rao said.

Public can register their complaints on private hospitals through the WhatsApp number 9154170960 to the Health Department.

50 black fungus patients at Gandhi, ENT Hospital

There were about 50 patients with mucormycosis admitted to Gandhi Hospital and ENT Hospital in King Koti while another 30 received treatment for the medical condition at private hospitals in Hyderabad, health authorities said on Tuesday.

“Patients who have recently recovered from Covid-19 must continue to wear masks at home and even outside, so that they can avoid coming in contact with fungal spores in the environment. Unlike Covid, the fungal infection is not contagious. Since patients who have recovered from Covid have compromised immunity, the body does not have enough ability to fight back the germs,” Director of Medical Education Dr K Ramesh Reddy said.

All the ENT departments in government teaching hospitals will start providing treatment to mucormycosis patients. “There may be a few cases in districts and they might struggle to reach Hyderabad and instructions have been issued to ENT departments at all teaching hospitals to start providing treatment to such patients,” Dr Reddy added.

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