IndiaPMC Commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad said that during areview meeting on Saturday, he requested Deputy Chief MinisterAjit Pawar to take a policy decision at the state level as faras referral of critical COVID-19 patients from privatehospital to state-run facilities, like the Sassoon GeneralHospital in Pune, is concerned.
"The approach of some private hospitals is that theytreat the COVID-19 patient for some day and refer the case toSassoon hours before he or she dies. I requested Ajit Pawar tochalk out a referral policy at the state level," he said.
He added that if a private hospital is equipped withfacilities like ICU and expert doctors, the entire treatmentshould be done by the same hospital.
Gaikwad said that he has proposed to even penalisesuch hospitals.
"I have even proposed that if any critical COVID-19patient is being referred to the Sassoon Hospital before hisdeath, the overall bill of the patient at the hospital shouldbe reduced by 60 per cent. Since they are not treating thepatient at the terminal stage or at the time of death, theyshould be penalised," he said.
The attitude of some private hospitals of distancingthemselves when the patient is critical is not good.
Avinash Bhondwe, the state president of Indian MedicalAssociation (IMA), however, said that there should be a clearcut separation of COVID-19 and non-COVID patient.
"This has come from the government that if a patientcomes to a private hospital for some ailment and if the doctorsuspects that he or she has some symptoms of COVID-19, he issupposed to inform the administration. Their person will comeand take the swab samples," he said.
He added that till the time, the results of the testcome, the patient will have to be kept in isolation.
"There are guidelines that if the patient's test comespositive, he or she will be sent to COVID hospital and if theresults come negative, the respective hospital will treat thepatient," he said.
He said that there are no such guidelines that privatehospitals will treat the patient.
"Moreover, neither the treatment protocol of thegovernment has reached private doctors nor there is any kindof training of private doctors being conducted," he added.
He said that if any hospital treats a COVID-19patient, there is a high possibility that the government mightask why the patient was treated there.
"We are supposed to refer the patient for thediagnosis and treatment. On the contrary, there are instancesof some doctors receiving notices for not referring the case,"he said.
Bhondwe suggested that the government should take oversome private hospitals.
"If you think that there are some serious patients,you can send them to these private hospitals. If thegovernment wants the patient to be treated at the privatehospital, issue the treatment guidelines and protocol to theprivate doctors," he said.
Gaikwad said that a meeting with private hospitalsover this issue will be held on Monday.
"We will see what their viewpoint is on all theseissues. We will also discuss the issue of bills of COVID-19patients who are being treated at such hospitals," he said. SPKNP NP