India / Odisha allows pvt hospitals with 30 or more beds to treat COVID-19 patients

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Friday allowed private hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients in the wake of the surge in cases, as per an order.

The government, however, cautioned these hospitals not to collect exorbitant fees and warned of strict action in case of any violation.

Issuing a host of guidelines, the Health Department said the private hospitals should follow the states patient discharge policy and cannot detain someone over non-payment.

The institution shall develop a mechanism for collection of bill amount on a day to day basis so that a lump sum amount never remains pending, the notification said.

Disposal of bodies shall be done strictly as per the government guidelines, it said.

All asymptomatic or mild cases shall be sent to institutional quarantine or home isolation, or a paid COVID Care Centre run by the hospital, it said.

Interested private hospitals shall designate a minimum of 10 per cent of all beds to be reserved for COVID treatment with an option to convert the entire hospital to a COVID hospital, it added.

There must be a separate fever clinic and facility for isolation of suspected cases, the government said.

Only those patients who want to pay on their own or covered under their own insurance shall be treated in the hospital. No reimbursement or payment of any kind towards the treatment of such patients will be made by the government, the notification said.