The Centre has asked states to engage with the private sector for augmenting health care infrastructure and provisioning of critical care at reasonable rates. The Health Ministry said, some states have already taken initiatives in this regard. They have reached an agreement with the private sector on reasonable rates and arrangements to provide critical care for in-patient admissions. The Ministry said, there have been several reports indicating an emerging shortage of health care infrastructure including hospitals with ICU beds, ventilators, oxygen supported beds for management of COVID-19 patients. There have also been reports of overcharging by health care providers for COVID-19 treatment. It said, Pradhanmantri Jan Aarogya Yojana and CGHS package rates are already available with the states.

The Ministry said, in order to ensure that patients receive prompt, good quality and care at reasonable rates, it has been suggested to have consultations with the local private health care providers and arrive at reasonable rates. It has been suggested that the rates, once fixed, must be widely publicized so that both the patients and service providers are fully aware and capacities are used optimally.

States have also been asked to proactively engage with the private sector health providers and consider pooling in public and private health care facilities, as this will help in providing prompt, good quality and reasonable health care to COVID-19 patients.

Meanwhile, Telangana Health Minister Eatala Rajender on Monday announced that private hospitals in the state have been allowed to test people for coronavirus, however, they will have to follow testing rates set by the government and should not exceed the limit.

COVID-19 test charges in private hospitals in Telangana
For private hospitals, the government has fixed Rs 2,200 for conducting coronavirus test, while Rs 4,000 for isolation beds.

Cost for ICU beds with and without a ventilator
Rs 7,500 have been set for facilitating ICU beds without ventilator support while Rs 9,000 with the ventilator. The health minister further said that the government will also speed up testing in Hyderabad and 30 other nearby regions.

Meanwhile, the chief secretary Somesh Kumar has said those who are coming to government hospitals for treatment can come as the government is fully prepared while those wanted to be treated in private hospitals can go there for treatment.

However, strict action will be taken against private hospitals if found to be violating government guidelines or taking advantage of somebody's helplessness.

Earlier this month Tamilnadu also had announced cap on COVID treatment charges.

"In private hospitals (across grades), the per day charge for treatment in ICUs shall not exceed Rs. 15,000. In general wards, for asymptomatic patients and those with mild symptoms, the maximum is Rs. 7,500," Health Minister C Vijayabaskar said in an official press release.

For general wards in Grade A1 and A2 hospitals, no more than Rs 7,500 may be charged per day. In Grade A3 and A4 hospitals, the treatment fee ceiling for the general ward is Rs 5,000.

Chief Minister K Palaniswami ordered ceiling of COVID-19 treatment charges after getting complaints from patients and seeing media reports on private hospitals charging exorbitantly, the health minister said, adding that during the pandemic, both, the government and private hospitals, shall work together.

"People's welfare initiatives, such as fixation of rates, will further augment COVID-19 treatment initiatives," said the government which announced the rates based on a report submitted on permissible charges for private hospitals by Health Secretary Beela Rajesh.

Further, the government has also fixed the rate at which it would compensate for authorised private hospitals under the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme.

The maximum payable rate per day by the government to private hospitals on behalf of people availing COVID-19 treatment is Rs. 5,000 for general ward and Rs. 9,000 to Rs. 15,000 in the Intensive Care Unit.