Surviving The Pandemic

Evolving regulations and poor infrastructure are turning out to be pain points for the private healthcare sector, already struggling to manage the virus outbreak.

- JOE C. MATHEW

Why Private Healthcare Is Key

Private hospitals are among the country’s top five employers

Constitute over 60 per cent of total beds (around 8.5-9 lakh) of the sector, 60 per cent of in-patient visits, 80 per cent of doctors

₹2.4 lakh crore Annual revenue estimated

₹31,000 crore Annual EBITDA

₹7,000 crore Annual profit after tax

On July 13, in a rare expression of solidarity, representatives of half-a-dozen Indian private health-care industry associations, at least a dozen heads of leading private hospitals and the Health Services Committee of industry body Ficci announced a virtual press conference. It got postponed at the last minute to July 15, only to get cancelled again, as the central topic of discussion was “sub judice.” The topic, which representatives of top-ranking private hospitals such as Apollo, Fortis, Hinduja, DM Healthcare and Columbia Asia wanted to discuss, was challenging due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The issue most central to this — price caps on Covid tests and treatments by central agencies, state governments and the General Insurance Council — is also being considered by courts.

Though the event got postponed, there is no relief in sight for private healthcare providers, even as the number of Covid-19 patients in India races past the 10 lakh mark. And ‘unsustainable price caps’ is just one of their problems.