Arrange centralised bed allotment system, says DYFI

‘Poor people are getting fleeced by private hospitals otherwise’

The Democratic Youth Federation of India on Friday said the Dakshina Kannada district administration has allowed private hospitals to fleece poor COVID-19 patients by not arranging a centralised bed allotment system. This failure defeats the very purpose of reserving 50% of beds in private hospitals under government quota to offer free treatment to the needy, said DYFI State president Muneer Katipalla in a statement here. The administration has thus lied to people who were forced to pay government-prescribed maximum bed charges even if they do not require treatment in ICU or under the ventilator. The government which should have declared a health emergency and requisitioned all private hospitals to provide quality treatment to people has stood with the private hospitals lobby and was facilitating fleecing of the poor. The administration has said eligible patients would be treated under Ayushman Bharat Arogya Raksha Kavach AB-ARK scheme in private hospitals without earmarking beds.