Warning of strong action against some private hospitals allegedly refusing admission to Covid-19 patients and involved in “black-marketing” of beds, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said his Government is going to issue an order stating that hospitals cannot deny treatment to such people.
The Delhi Government will depute medical professionals at all hospitals who will update availability of beds for coronavirus patients at an official app and ensure admission of such patients, he said.
The CM rubbished claims that Covid-19 tests have been stopped, and asserted the city test ratio is the highest.
Most of the private hospitals in Delhi are good but some of them are demanding money for beds which is nothing but “black-marketing”, Kejriwal said.
“We will take strong action against such hospitals and they cannot refuse patients. Some time will be needed to break the mafia who are indulging in it. These few hospitals have political approach but they should not be under the illusion that their political masters can save them,” he said.
The Government is talking to the owners of private hospitals to determine their problems in reserving 20 per cent of their beds for Covid-19 patients, he said.
Private hospitals are a critical part of the Delhi’s health infrastructure and the Delhi Government acknowledges their role, he added.
“There are some private hospitals which are resorting to such means. First they say they don’t have bed and when patients insist, they demand huge amount. Isn’t this black-marketing of beds?” he asked.
The CM said the Delhi Government launched an app on Tuesday for providing information on the availability of Government and private hospital beds for Covid-19 patients.
“Most private hospitals are good, but there are 2-3 private hospitals (that) do black-marketing. We thought that if information on availability of beds and ventilators is made transparent, people will get to know everything about this,” he said.
He said some hospitals are lying about the information on availability of beds. False refusal cannot be tolerated and admitting coronavirus patients is non-negotiable, he said.
“Two-three hospitals feel that they cannot be affected...They think they can get things through their political bosses and continue doing their black-marketing, then I want to warn them that they will not be spared,” Kejriwal said.
He said testing of coronavirus has not been stopped and currently 36 Government and private labs were doing the tests. Action was taken against six labs for irregularities, he said.
“There are flu clinics of Delhi Government hospitals and some private ones, there are Covid centres where you can go for test. Even today 5,300 samples were tested,” he said.
The CM, however, said the testing capacity is limited and it will be overwhelmed if everyone went for the test, adding that asymptomatic persons should not go for it. The Delhi Government’s priority for now is to save lives, he added.