Insurance Cover Helps States Rope In Private Hospitals

Some are finalising the list; details of package rates being worked out

- Radhika Merwin

To increase testing and treatment facilities for COVID-19 patients, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, through its April 4 circular, had made such services available under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), which covers about 53-crore beneficiaries.

While the testing and treatment of COVID-19 was already free in public facilities, the intention of the Centre to rope in private players was to make these free for the poor even through private labs and hospitals.

This is critical as private hospitals in many States may be better equipped with the necessary isolation beds, ICU infrastructure, ventilators or respirator facilities.

But of the 20,000-odd empanelled hospitals (of which 9,000 are private hospitals) under Ayushman, only select hospitals will be available for treating COVID-19 cases.

Empanelled hospitals

Each State has notified or is in the process of enlisting government and private hospitals that are COVID-19 designated hospitals. Given that in a pandemic situation, strict protocols for treatment need to be followed and not all hospitals can be exposed to the risk of the virus spread, it is only understandable that select hospitals can be designated to treat COVID-19 patients.