New Delhi: After days of private healthcare facilities in the city registering their protests over the Delhi government's decision to reserve 80 per cent of all ICU beds for COVID-19 patients, the Association of Healthcare Providers (India) (AHPI) on Thursday filed a petition in the Delhi High Court, seeking that the order directing reservation of ICU beds be quashed.
AHPI represents the majority of healthcare providers in India and has said the decision will affect the working of hospitals. Speaking to Millennium Post, Director-General of AHPI, Dr Girdhar Gyani said, "There are already more than 2,000 Covid ICU beds, which include both government and private hospitals. The patients that come in per day are 4,000 to 5,000, where the ICU requirement is for 1.2 per cent. So according to this, we don't need more than 800 to 1,000 beds, because even if 80 people come to the ICU, per day, then they are managed in rotation."
He added that there are already 2,160 COVID-19 beds, according to the Delhi government data, while the government has itself said that 48 per cent beds are empty.
"These hospitals, which have been asked for 80 per cent beds, are working on tertiary and quarterly hospitals and are used for other surgeries like kidney transplant, by-pass and all other emergency surgeries. Now only 20 per cent is left for this," he said, adding that the government has to consider non-COVID patients as well, which is one of the key grounds cited in the high court petition.
"The order has been issued without any prior discussions with private hospitals to understand the current demand-supply situation of critical care beds," the petition said.
Commenting on the same, Dr Kousar A. Shah, COO, Aakash Healthcare & Super Specialty Hospital, said that the decision may impact the confidence of non-covid patients especially those who had been carrying illnesses and
waiting for the COVID-19 situation to improve to be able to come back to hospitals for getting treated.
Fortis, which is one of the 33 hospitals roped in said that the healthcare system is facing serious challenges. "Reserving beds is not a long term solution as it will jeopardise the operational sustainability of private hospitals. The Government's support is critical and we urge a collaborative and consultative approach, enabling the private healthcare institutions to function optimally," Dr Ashutosh Raghuvanshi, MD & CEO, Fortis Healthcare said.