Coimbatore: Inordinately delayed test results and fleecing by hospitals cause mental illness in Coimbatore COVID patients
Coimbatore: Delay in COVID results on one hand and private hospitals charging patients exorbitantly on the other hand cause unspeakable mental agony and stress to the COVID-19 patients in Coimbatore.
Nearly seven months into this epidemic, the city is battling to counter the increasing daily cases and death toll due to the novel coronovrius which has claimed over so far, 368 lives. The steep increase in cases undeniably pose an almost insurmountable challenge to the district administrators in containing the spread of the virus which has surpassed 24,000.
A US-based study warns that mental illness amid people who test positive for COVID-19 may start rising in the upcoming days. It points that the patients are likely to experience depression and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) which may lead even to suicide or other crimes.
In Coimbatore, the daily spike in cases has led to a dearth of beds in both private and government hospitals, as they continue to fill at an alarming clip, it has also been found that delay in test results and overcharging hospitals have left COVID patients in the city teetering on the brink.
Several patients both asymptomatic and others who prefer private hospitals for COVID treatment lament that they are overcharged. Simplicity dialled a few hospitals in the city to authenticate the allegations. Two out of the four hospitals responded.
In a telephonic inquiry with a private hospital in Coimbatore, authorised to treat Covid patients revealed that they charge close to Rs.1,25,000 for COVID-19 treatment in general ward, if the patient is asymptomatic. The hospital source also informed that the said charges are for 10 days for asymptomatic patients and charges may increase, if they the patients have co-morbidities.
The hospital source also added that charges for CT and blood tests are additional and would cost around Rs. 25,000.
One another private hospital treating Covid patients here detailed their process of payment which collects a sum of Rs.1,00,000, as advance towards admission in the general ward. The hospital said they charge Rs. 40,000 per day for ICU treatment.
It is evidently clear that both the hospitals have blatantly flouted the Health department’s cap on cost for COVID-19 treatment. Thus, leaving the patients suffer economically and mentally.
In July, the Tamil Nadu government came down heavily on private hospitals charging exorbitant fees and fixed Rs.7,500 and Rs.15,000 per day for the general and ICU wards to be charged thereafter, but the picture here in the city tells an altogether different and grim story.
A release from the State Health and Family Welfare Department stated that private hospitals have been warned of action, if they violated the norms, which permits Grade-1 and 2 hospitals to charge a maximum of Rs 7,500 in general ward per day, while grade-3 and 4 hospitals can charge Rs 5,000.
TN Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan in a press meet last month warned that complaints of fleecing by private hospitals could be reported on the helpline number 104 or through the respective joint director of health services.
Inordinate delay in results
While exorbitant charges by private hospitals has landed the urban lower and middle class in great trouble, the delay in Covid test results taken at government centres have also become a cause for concern amid people.
Many patients have accused that they had not received results for over 4-5 days and multiple attempts to contact the centre ended up in vain, as they were unresponsive or told them that if results are negative no reports will be issued.
Savitha (name changed on request) said that she and many known to her got their test results only after an inordinate amount of time which took a toll on their mental health.
She said, “Due to the delay, I was very nervous and was not able to focus on my work. This made my days worser and agonised me."
Multiple attempts were made by Simplicity to reach the District Joint Director Of Medical & Rural Health Service for comments, however he did not response.