Mamata asks pvt hospitals not to refuse, delay treatment waiting for COVID-19 tests

Kolkata, Jun 17 () West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday asked private hospitals not to refuse or delay treatment to patients approaching them by making them wait for COVID-19 test results.

She also them to work out a mechanism on an hourly-basis so that the occupancy and availability of beds at their establishments are known to the common people.

"Give the patients the treatment for what they have come ... If someone has approached 9the hospital) with cardiac or kidney problems give them the requisite treatment first. You can test them for COVID-19 later on.

"I ask private hospitals not to refuse patients, I have heard about such incidents recently," Banerjee told reporters.

A meeting of private hospitals will be held on the mechanism suggested by her on Thursday, she said.

The West Bengal government has already asked private hospitals in the state treating COVID-19 patients to increase the number of beds in order to tackle the recent spurt in infections, a senior official had said on Wednesday.

A communication from the health department was sent to 53 private hospitals treating COVID-19 cases in the state to make provisions for more beds to accommodate coronavirus patients.

Some private hospitals in the city said infrastructural gaps were making it difficult to increase beds for COVID-19 patients.

"You cannot have COVID-19 wards in buildings which are having a central air conditioning system. For that we need to have a separate set up as per the ICMR guidelines," an official of a private hospital in Salt Lake said.

Another private hospital official in Howrah said a separate building will be required to admit more COVID-19 patients.

"Hopefully, tomorrow's meeting will help us come out with a solution. We will put forth our suggestions," the official of a private hospital in the southern part of the city said.

A senior official said state government hospitals have ample beds to accommodate coronavirus patients in the city and in the districts. "But there are people who opt for private hospitals. So we have urged the private hsopiatls to increase their beds."

There are 77 COVID-19 hospitals in West Bengal, of which 53 are privately run.