Balbir Sidhu directs Civil Surgeons to ensure display of treatment charges of Covid-19 at entrance of pvt hospitals

Chandigarh: To stop overcharging of COVID-19 treatment by the Private hospitals, the Health Minister Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu today directed all the Civil Surgeons to ensure the display a board of a sufficiently large size at the entrance of the hospital specifying treatment charges for COVID-19 patients, which should not exceed the capping proposed by the Punjab Government.

Mr. Sidhu clarified that no private hospital can charge more than the notified treatment charges and if anyone is charged more than the government notified charges, such a person can raise his complaint to the concerned Deputy Commissioner or Civil Surgeon. The Punjab Government has already issued the instructions to District Administrations in this regard.

Health Minister said that it has been brought to his notice that even after directions issued by Punjab Government some hospitals has been overcharged the COVID patients. He said that taking notice of such incidents, FIRs have been registered against the Private Hospitals across the State under Epidemic Diseases Act and Disaster Management Act.

He also appreciated the Civil Surgeons who have taken prompt action on the complaints and after that many private hospitals have refund the money to COVID patient’s families which have been overcharged for treatment by them.

Mr. Sidhu said that Punjab Government has made it clear that, no one would be spared who were indulged in such mala fide activities and he assured the family members of COVID patients those were suffered due to financial shock in Private Hospitals that strict action would be taken against all such hospitals within one month.

Pointing out the declining trend of new COVID cases, the Health Minister further said that as per the directions of Chief Minister Punjab Captain Amarinder Singh in a recently held Covid review meeting, Health and Family Welfare Department has allowed elective surgeries in all the government as well as private health facilities.

Keeping in view of the reducing caseload in the hospitals, Mr. Sidhu said that for the welfare of general public, Health Department Punjab has also decided to fully restore OPD services in all the government health facilities and has allowed elective surgeries in both private and government health institutions. But the private health facilities providing COVID care are directed to ensure that Level 3 capacity of hospitals for COVID - 19 is not compromised.