Hopes diminish for cases in non-notified private hospitals

Completing paper work has become a Herculean task, say kin of COVID-19 victims

Raja, son of an RTC conductor Ramanjaneyulu (50), has been running from pillar to post for the COVID death certificate and the other required papers after his father succumbed to the virus at the Government General Hospital here. On the other hand, 50-year-old U. Srinivas, who got the COVID death certificate of his wife Nagamani who died at GGH, has been making repeated visits to the administrative offices pleading for payment of ex gratia as per the guidelines framed by the National Disaster Management Authority early.

There are many such cases in the district while the plight of those who took treatment in non-notified private hospitals is even worse as they find it a Herculean task to complete the formalities like counter signature by the health worker and medical officer concerned. “I have no hopes of getting the ex gratia,” laments K. Suresh who lost his father to COVID-19 after spending several lakhs of rupees for medical treatment in a non-notified hospital when medicines were in short supply and black-marketed then.