Patient Charged ₹20 Lakh For 23-Day COVID Treatment In Private Hospital

Hyderabad: Getting treated after being infected with COVID-19 has been quite an ordeal for several people across India. First, getting a bed and then meeting with exorbitant costs, especially in some private hospitals, have harassed patients no end.

Recently, a coronavirus-positive 53-year-old man was charged nearly ₹20 lakh for 23 days of treatment at a corporate hospital in Banjara Hills in Hyderabad.

His medical insurance company approved about ₹7.5 lakh, so he had to pay a whopping ₹12.5 lakh from his own pocket, reports The Hindu.

Telangana citizens have demanded that the state government announce a cap on the billing by corporate hospitals.

Other states can follow the example of Tamil Nadu government, which has announced slabs on maximum daily tariff for COVID-19 treatment at private hospitals and charges based on severity of the infectious disease. As per the government directive, ICU charges cannot exceed ₹15,000 a day.