‘64% of beds reserved for EWS patients in Delhi’s private hospitals lying vacant’ – ET HealthWorld

New Delhi : Nearly 64 per cent of beds reserved for EWS patients in Delhi’s private hospitals that got land on concessional rates are currently lying vacant. This has been alleged by Ashok Agarwal, a member of the high court free beds inspection committee.

Agarwal has written to Delhi government principal secretary (health) to investigate the matter urgently and take measures to achieve optimal occupancy in the hospitals. “A sample survey of 16 private hospitals carried out by us recently revealed that only 36 per cent EWS beds were occupied. A few hospitals had also designated EWS beds for Covid-19 patients,” he said.

“There is no justification in keeping EWS beds reserved in the name of Covid-19. EWS patients are denied treatment saying beds are available, but reserved for Covid patients,” said the advocate, who is also a public health activist.

An order by Supreme Court mandates that all private hospitals that had acquired land at cheaper rates must reserve 10 per cent of their in-patient department capacity and 25 per cent OPD for free treatment of poor patients. Agarwal said 61 such hospitals in the city have more than 950 beds earmarked for EWS patients.

The rule says any poor patient can visit a private hospital directly for admission under EWS quota or state-run hospitals can refer their patients, if required. But the poor, activists said, were often discouraged by private hospitals and were told to get away on the excuse that no beds were available.

“Before the pandemic, the occupancy of EWS beds had reached 85%. But now again the occupancy for the category is down. The government needs to act urgently in the matter so that the vulnerable get their due,” said another activist.