15 more pvt hospitals in Ahmedabad designated for COVID-19 care

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) on Thursday roped in another 15 private hospitals in the city to accommodate COVID-19 patients coming for treatment here from other parts of Gujarat.

The decision was taken during a high-level meeting attended by Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Mukesh Kumar and officer on special duty Rajiv Kumar Gupta, among others.

The AMC had earlier designated 59 other private hospitals to treat coronavirus patients in order to ease the burden on government-run facilities in the city.

As per the agreement, each hospital can utilise 50 per cent of their beds for private quota patients, while the remaining 50 per cent beds should be reserved for patients sent by the civic body.

While the government has already capped the treatment charges on private quota COVID-19 patients, it is the AMC which pays a stipulated amount to these hospitals for each coronavirus patient sent to them.

It recently came to notice that COVID-19 patients from other districts, which are witnessing a spurt in cases, are being admitted to these designated hospitals under private quota, Gupta said in a statement.

"To accommodate these outside patients, the AMC has decided to designate 15 more private hospital for coronavirus care. Since the AMC does not need more beds right now, these hospitals can utilise 100 per cent of their beds to admit patients under private quota," the senior IAS officer said.

This new arrangement would add 500 more beds for coronavirus patients in the city. Gupta made it clear that patients from Ahmedabad can also be admitted by these hospitals.

If the need arises in the future, AMC has the power to acquire 50 per cent beds from these 15 hospitals, said Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary in the Forest and Environmental Department.

(Photo Credit: PTI)