Covid care leaves sufferers reeling underneath debt burden
4 min read Express News Service
KASARAGOD: On May 11, when E Ok Nayanar Memorial Cooperative Hospital at Chengala was working out of oxygen, it requested its Covid sufferers on oxygen to search out different hospitals. Kunhammali, 74, of Sanchakadav in Adoor village of Delampady panchayat was recognized with Covid pneumonia eight days in the past and was on the highway to restoration. But his cylinder had only one hour of oxygen left. His household saved hoping the hospital will get the oxygen replenished. But it didn’t occur, and instantly his cylinder was out of oxygen. The hospital workers rushed and obtained a spare cylinder saved for emergency and hooked Kunhammali to it. “But by then his oxygen saturation level dropped to 40,” mentioned son-in-law Latheef.
The household knew he should be shifted out. Latheef referred to as Bindu A, the go-to individual for the household. She can also be the village officer of Adoor. She instantly referred to as Sharief, a resident of her village. He had shifted his father to a hospital in Mangalore from Aramana Hospital. He gave her the cellphone variety of Muneer, an ambulance driver in Chemnad village, who organized an ICU mattress in Mangla Hospital in Mangalore. But when Kunhammali was about to be discharged from the cooperative hospital, his household obtained a invoice of Rs 90,000. “We had no clue the bill will be that much. But we did not have time to haggle and so we left for Mangalore,” mentioned Latheef.
As the household couldn’t elevate that a lot quantity, village officer Bindu pitched in with Rs 50,000 to settle the invoice. In Mangalore, he was within the ICU for 2 days and died on May 13. There, the household was billed Rs 50,000. Covid will not be solely snatching away lives however can also be leaving households reeling underneath a mountain of debt. Patients say personal hospitals have been fleecing them.Akhila Raghavan, 21, a post-graduate scholar in laptop functions, shot off a letter to district medical officer Dr Rajan Ok R searching for justice due to the “unbearable” medical payments. On May 11, she examined optimistic for covid and was admitted to Sanjeevani Hospital at Mavungal close to Kanhangad with respiration difficulties. “I went there because my father was already being treated there for Covid,” she mentioned.After 4 days, she was discharged however was offered with a invoice of Rs 48,200.
Her father Raghavan, who was admitted on May 8, was transferred to a hospital in Kannur as a result of his situation deteriorated. He was recognized with Covid pneumonia. For his 4 days within the hospital, he too obtained a invoice of round Rs 50,000, mentioned Akhila. Akhila was really billed Rs 50,200 however given a Rs 2,000 low cost. According to the invoice, the hospital charged her Rs 7,800 per day for 4 days for covid therapy. On prime of it, the hospital billed her 20 PPE kits at Rs 950 per package. Administration officers of a number of hospitals mentioned they purchased PPE kits for Rs 350. In a current order, the Kerala authorities fastened the speed of PPE package at Rs 273. For ICU beds per day, hospitals can cost Rs 7,800 (with out accreditation) and Rs 8,580 (with accreditation).
Private hospitals are allowed to cost as much as Rs 13,800 (with out accreditation) and Rs 15,180 (with accreditation) per day for ICU with ventilators. The DMO mentioned he would look into Akhila’s criticism.Archana Ok, 38, an worker of Panathady Service Cooperative Bank, succumbed to Covid in Wenlock District Hospital in Mangaluru on May 6. On April 15, her husband Sivakumar Pothuval, 43, died of covid in Kannur Government Medical College Hospital in Pariyaram. The couple is survived by a 13-year-old daughter.
Anoop Ok, 43, Archana’s brother, mentioned she was first taken to Unity Hospital in Mangaluru, the place she was handled for 15 days. “I had to sign a paper agreeing to pay Rs 25,000 per day for the ICU bed before they admitted her,” he mentioned. But within the hospital, Anoop too examined optimistic and was given a room with out even a TV. The room hire was Rs 10,000. “So I was paying Rs 35,000 per day,” he mentioned.
During the therapy, her oxygen saturation degree by no means went above 85. As her situation deteriorated, the hospital requested Anoop to shift her to Wenlock Hospital. But then, they ran up a invoice of Rs 3.5 lakh for 15 days. Archana was shifted within the night of May 5 and by 1.30am on May 6, she died. “In our case, the Seva Bharati intervened and got the bill at Unity Hospital reduced,” mentioned Anoop. Seva Bharati is an NGO affiliated with the RSS. “But that is not possible for every patient. Hospitals should not squeeze dry covid patients,” mentioned Anoop.
