Bengal govt to send audit teams to assess cause of higher mortality rate of COVID-19 patients at private hospitals
Kolkata: The state government has decided to inspect private hospitals requisitioned for COVID-19 treatment by sending audit teams after it was found that more patients suffering from the disease are dying in private hospitals than in the state-run ones.
Citing an example, a senior officer said: "It has been found that 6 to 7 deaths out of 10 COVID-19 patients are taking place at private hospitals."
According to the sources in Nabanna, the necessity of sending the state's audit team was felt to find out the exact cause behind the higher mortality rate in private hospitals compared to that of state-run ones.
The team will assess whether the protocols are being followed at these health establishments or not. Though the date has not been finalised yet, the state government has decided to execute the procedure as early as possible.
At present 53 private hospitals are requisitioned for treating COVID-19 patients. The state government is bearing the entire cost for treatment at these establishments.
This comes at the time when 305 people died due to COVID-19 in the state till date and it also includes the death of 11 people who died in the past 24 hours. In such circumstances, the state government has decided to press the audit committee at these health establishments.
Additionally, 16 state-run dedicated COVID-19 hospitals take the total number of COVID-19 hospitals in the state to 69 where 8,785 beds are earmarked for treatment. At present 19.57 per cent of beds are occupied. These hospitals have 920 ICU beds and 392 ventilators as well for COVID-19 patients only.
Sources said the audit teams will be submitting its report to the state government in this connection and subsequent steps will be taken up based on their reports.
"Necessary steps in this regard need to be taken at the earliest. So we don't want to make any delay in sending the audit teams to the private hospitals," said an official.
