Private Hospitals shut doors to non #COVID patients

Hyderabad: Sachin’s day begins with ringing up hospitals to check the availability of dialysis facilities. Since the pandemic broke out, most of the private hospitals have refused to conduct the dialysis procedure of his father fearing infection.

The hospitals which agree to perform the procedure charge huge money from the hapless patients. “The hospitals which accepted to conduct dialysis are charging Rs 50,000 per day whereas normally they would charge Rs 1400 for one time. I cannot afford such a huge amount. I am too worried about my father's health”, said Sachin.

His father was tested COVID positive on July 2 and admitted to Gandhi for treatment. On July 14, he was discharged. Since he is suffering from Hypertension and Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), he requires dialysis every week.

“On discharge certificate, Gandhi hospital wrote COVID positive with Hypertension and CKD for home quarantine. Since we are not given a COVID negative report, my father was turned away from the hospitals. I have been contacting various private hospitals but they refuse to conduct the procedure unless there is a negative report,” he said.

This is not an isolated case. Most of the hospitals are turning away patients and denying treatment on different pretexts.

Sample this: Devi met with a major accident at Uppal and received a severe head injury. She was rushed to a Hospital at Uppal and taken to an intensive care unit. But all the nursing staff and the doctors were too scared to even get close to her.

“For 2 to 3 hours I was just kept there without being touched. I was bleeding. I was repeatedly asking them why they were not treating me. After almost three hours they started the treatment after being assured that I was COVID negative”, said Devi.

Likewise, Aparna’s three-year-old nephew was turned away by the hospital after they found that he was suffering from high fever and cold. “They turned us away from the reception itself. Instead, the child was advised to stay home and take vapour”, said Sirisha Aparna.

Dr Vidya Kamble, Medical Officer at a Government Hospital, said usually patients tend to shy away or hide the symptoms for various diseases.

“With COVID, patients coming for treatment can infect the hospital staff which would cause a greater risk and that’s the reason many private hospitals are asking for a COVID report before treatment. If the doctor treating that patient is infected then the doctor he/she will become a potential carrier to many patients who are already having other ailments,” she said.