The State government will shoulder full treatment expenses of COVID-19 patients in private sector hospitals provided they are eligible beneficiaries under the Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhati (KASP), the Health and Family Welfare Department has said.
Non-KASP patients, however, would have to bear the expenses at rates fixed by the private hospitals from their own pocket, a public notice put out by the department on Friday, seeking to clear the confusion over COVID-19 treatment, indicated.
“Under the KASP, the government will bear all the expenses of COVID treatment of eligible beneficiaries,” the department said. Patients with influenza-like illnesses (fever, dry cough, diarrhoea, loss of smell, and breathless) who wanted treatment in government hospitals should approach the nearest government-run COVID hospital, it said.
“If non-KASP patients want to go to private hospitals, they may do so by contacting the respective private hospitals and bear the expenses as per the rates of the hospitals. If non-KASP patients have COVID Kavach/COVID Raksha healthcare coverage, they may avail themselves of the health services from the empanelled hospitals of the respective insurance providers,” it said.
The district-level health administration, with the assistance of doctors’ associations, carried out capacity building in private sector hospitals. Patients could avail themselves of healthcare services—whether related to COVID-19 or not—in both government and private hospitals. The government had not placed restrictions on private hospitals regarding provision of COVID-19 treatment, the notice said.
Approved private laboratories were also authorised to perform COVID-19 tests at the rates fixed by the government. In accessing the health-care facilities, the patients should adhere to travel guidelines, the department added.
