Mumbai: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has sought clarity from the Maharashtra government on its notification on the acquisition of 80% beds from private hospitals for Covid-19 positive patients across the state. The IMA has argued that the bed counts of private hospitals vary from 2 to 1,500 beds and it wants to know whether every such hospital will be taken over or only those with a capacity of more than 30 or 50 will be acquired.
If smaller hospitals (with five or 10 beds) were to begin admitting Covid patients, then non-Covid patients will stop going to such hospitals, the IMA contends. Further, it argues, it is difficult to segregate Covid and non-Covid patients, to control infection, so the chances of non-Covid patients contracting the infection in such hospitals will be high.
The IMA shot off a letter to Public Health Minister Rajesh Tope after private hospitals and IMA members began receiving notices from the state government about its plans to acquire 80% beds for Covid positive patients at pre-determined rates. Now, the medical body has sought a meeting with Tope, seeking clarity on the issue.
