With a decline in new COVID-19 cases in the city and the rush to hospitals reducing, private hospitals want the beds they had ceded to the government during the peak of the second wave released so that they can treat other patients. The Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes’ Association (PHANA) has decided to write to the Department of Health and Family Welfare for the release of the 50% government quota beds reserved for COVID-19 patients.
H.M. Prasanna, president, PHANA, told The Hindu that after assessing the COVID-19 situation next week, they will take up the matter with the government.
“If these beds are occupied, we get reimbursed from the government, if they remain vacant, we suffer a loss,” he said.
The demand for general beds and High Dependency Unit (HDU) beds in hospitals has been on the decline over the past fortnight. However, the demand for ICU beds and ICU beds with ventilators continues to remain high. As of Saturday evening, of the 16,532 beds available in public hospitals, government quota in private hospitals and COVID-19 care centres, 12,014 beds are vacant.
Last week, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) too acknowledged the rise in vacant beds.
Civic officials said they would consult the Department of Health and Family Welfare and decide what to do with the vacant beds.
