Nagpur: Vidarbha Hospitals Association (VHA), a unit of Hospitals Association, Nagpur has been repeatedly highlighting the imposition of audits on private hospitals who have been forced to reserve beds and work within capped charges without any compensation bypassing National Health Authority guidelines. The matters of audits and capping are presently subjudiced. Alleging harassment from all quarters, VHA and Indian Medical Association (IMA) have expressed their wish to stop treating COVID-19 patients.
The recent sustained firing of notifications has dented the determination of private hospitals to continue serving Covid-19 patients.
Recently, a delegation of Nagpur IMA and VHA office bearers met Radhakrishnan B, Nagpur Municipal Commissioner and Jalaj Sharma, Additional Municipal Commissioner and expressed their desire to stop undertaking Covid-19 duties.
The office bearers highlighted that since last one and a half years, private healthcare sector has attended to thousands of COVID patients and Nagpur was brought on National map by becoming one of the cities with maximum ventilators/ ICU/ Oxygenated Covid beds in view of the investments done on their own by private hospitals. Almost 3/4th of Covid patients were treated by Nagpur private hospitals even with their objections on capping and audits.
Dr Sanjay Deotale- Nagpur IMA President stated, “Leave aside a word of appreciation, now doctors are being threatened with penal actions and multiple authorities are flooding them with orders to send varied reports, formats, details, data through emails, hard copies and WhatsApp groups.”
Dr. Ashok Arbat- VHA President said, “This administrative overload has overwhelmed the private hospitals and now they seek to excuse themselves with the Covid service. The hospitals were not worried about Covid care rendition but are harassed by the administrative interference seeking confidential data in various formats. The already taxed hospital personnel are hassled not by clinical duties but by these paperwork.”
Dr. Anil Laddhad, Maharashtra Medical Council Member added, “Rather than face the overwhelming thankless task of compiling voluminous data in various formats, the private hospitals now wish to withdraw themselves from Covid duties and continue with non Covid routine work. One should check the cost incurred on each Covid patients per day in Government establishments before pointing fingers at private hospitals which have forced to run in capped charges for 80% beds.”
Dr. Anup Marar- VHA Convener pointed out, “No compensation was ever given for establishing Covid hospitals and making infrastructural changes or equipment additions. No support came from Government in form of any assistance, subsidies or grants. Rather NMC hospital registration and biomedical waste disposal charges was increased multi-fold. The hospitals are directed to serve within capped charges and pay from their own pockets for increasing oxygen charges.”
Dr. Alok Umre- VHA Secretary made it clear, “Hospital personnel feel insecure with the threats and mob vandalism by social activists. Arrests as per 2010 act were never undertaken on those who vandalized the hospitals to set an example. Even High Court had directed that no videography be permitted in Covid hospitals. Still all social activists blatantly took videos and maligned the image of many hospitals on social media.”
Dr. Sachin Gathe- IMA Secretary concluded, “It is difficult to serve in such a tough conditions. Government has not been able to protect the interests of private hospitals. Hence we are being forced to take such a decision as hospital personnel now need some rest time rather than facing insults from all corners.”
Renowned doctors of city including Dr. Archana Kothari, Dr. Anand Sancheti, Dr. Tushar Gawad, Dr. Shishir Kolhe, Dr. Abhiram Paranjape, Dr. Shishir Shrivastava, Dr. Deepak Jeswani, Dr. Pravin Lad, Dr. Sandip Mogre, Dr. Dilip Rathi, Dr. Nilesh Agarwal, Dr. Mahesh Sarda, Dr. Rajesh Mundhada, and many others accompanied IMA and VHA delegation to convey this inclination.
