Days after it cracked the whip on private hospitals, prohibiting them from exorbitantly charging COVID patients, Maharashtra government has now issued a notification capping hospital rates charged to treat black fungus patients. The government has capped hospital rates on the basis of the cities they are located in – Class A or B or C. Cities have been categorised on the basis of insurance premiums and various allowances. The cost of treatment for patients, especially in rural areas, will be reduced by classifying and fixing the rates of related treatments on the same criteria.
Mucormycosis, as a sequalae of COVID19, requires high end treatment, both in the way of medical management & surgeries. This includes a long stay in the hospital to ensure quality treatment & complete remission from the disease.
For regular wards, for segregation, the hospitals will charge Rs 4,000 for Class A cities, Rs 3,000 for Class B cities and Rs 2,400 for Class C cities per day. This charge includes the necessary maintenance, nursing, tests, medication, cost of beds and meals. The cost of the Covid test has to be paid at the fixed rate. Only major tests and examinations, as well as high-level drugs, are excluded.
For ICUs with ventilator and isolation, the charges are Rs 9,000 for Class A cities, Rs 6,700 for Class B cities and Rs 5,400 for Class C cities per day.
For ICU and Isolation Only, the charges are Rs 7,500 for Class A cities, Rs 5,500 for Class B cities and Rs 4,500 for Class C cities per day.
According to the government notification, Class A cities include Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Area (excluding Bhiwandi, Vasai-Virar), Pune and Pune Metropolitan Area, Nagpur (Nagpur Municipal Corporation, Digdoh, Wadi). Further, Class B cities are Nashik, Aurangabad, Amravati, Bhiwandi, Solapur, Kolhapur, Vasai-Virar, Malegaon, Nanded, Sangli as also, all district headquarters. Cities not in Classes A and B are under Class C.
The government notification has also fixed prices for various surgeries and procedures across Class A, B and C cities. Lobectomy will cost around Rs 1 lakh in Class A cities, Rss 75 thousand in Class B cities and Rs 60 thousand in Class C cities.
