The State Government has decided to formulate a legal regulatory framework soon to check the arbitrary exploitation of patients by private hospitals.
At a review meeting held here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday, it was decided that on the functioning of the State Treatment Fund, a Regulatory Board would be constituted to check the exorbitant fees being slapped on the patients by private hospitals in form of treatment fee and diagnostic charges.
Expressing concern over the unbridled treatment fees being charged by the private hospitals in the State, Chief Minister Patnaik asked the Health and Family Welfare Department authorities to examine the legal framework concerning the proposed Regulatory Board.
Sources said that the proposed Board envisages regulation of all types of fees and charges, including the treatment and diagnosis of all private hospitals functioning in the State.
The Board would fix reasonable fees for all types of health services for the private hospitals. Stern legal action would be taken against those private hospitals found taking higher amount than the amount fixed by the Regulatory Board, the sources said.
It was decided to make available the application forms in Odia language to facilitate the poor to apply to get the financial assistance out of the Odisha State Treatment Fund (OSTF).
The Chief Minister directed the Health and Family Welfare authorities to ensure the availability of the forms in Panchayats, Blocks, office of the District Collectors and the District Chief Medical Officers. Besides, it was decided to print the guidelines of the OSTF in Odia
language for better circulation and knowledge of the people in need.
OSTF is a State funded flagship scheme to provide financial assistance to the poor patients, mostly the BPls, who are suffering from life threatening disorders and diseases for treatment as per the eligibility criteria.
Realising the problem being faced by the poor patients to get required health care for the fact that the OSTF facilities are only in
operation in Government hospitals, it was decided that the scheme would be also be extended to private hospitals.
For the benefit of the patients, the facilities for reimbursement out of the OSTF would be made available to as many as 21 private hospitals including some reputed ones in Visakhapatnam and Raipur.
In the second phase, more number of private hospitals in Sambalpur, Baleswar, Baripada and Brahmapur would be included under the scheme, sources said.
In order to help the poor patients get financial assistance out of the OSTF, the Chief Minister asked the District Collectors and RDCs to review the reimbursement process and disposal of the applications at their end in every fortnight. The Health and Family Welfare Secretary has also been asked to review the functioning of the OSTF in every month and take steps to make available application forms in the stipulated places.
It was also decided to provide financial assistance to the patients for undergoing kidney operations out of the OSTF for the next six months. Besides, there would be no restriction on the part of the district headquarters hospital authorities to refer the critical patients for better
treatment to any private hospitals having requisite medical facilities. Facilities would be created in the SCB Medical College Hospital, Cuttack for undertaking more heart operations in order to prevent the poor patients go outside.
It was also decided at the meeting to construct at least one 100-beddelivery ward in each district headquarters hospitals. The delivery wards would be constructed by availing funds from the National Rural Health Mission.
The meeting was attended by Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Damodar Rout, Chief Secretary BK Patnaik, Development Commissioner Jugal Kishore Mohapatra and Health Secretary Pradipta Mohapatra, among others.