Bengaluru, Jun 23 (IANS): Karnataka government has fixed private hospitals' Covid treatment price under multiple packages and ordered them to reserve 50 per cent of the beds for cases referred by public health authorities, an official said on Tuesday.

"Fifty per cent of the beds in private hospitals having facilities to treat Covid patients shall be reserved for the treatment of patients referred by public health authorities," said Chief Secretary T. M. Vijay Bhaskar.

The reserved 50 per cent beds will include both HDU and ICU beds equipped with and without ventilators while the hospitals may utilize the remaining 50 per cent beds to admit Covid patients privately who are not referred by public authorities.

The beds will be counted irrespective of the fact whether they are located in general, sharing or private wards.

According to the tariffs fixed by the government, package rate per day for patients referred by public authorities in the general ward will cost Rs 5,200, HDU (Rs 7,000), Isolation ICU without ventilator (Rs 8,500) and Isolation ICU with ventilator (Rs 10,000).

In case of patients joining private hospitals directly without being referred by public authorities, making cash payment and falling under the non-insurance category, the price has been fixed at Rs 10,000 per day for general ward.

Daily charges for HDU admissions, Rs 12,000, Isolation ICU without ventilator (Rs 15,000) and Isolation ICU with ventilator (Rs 25,000).

All the package prices will be inclusive of personal protective equipment (PPEs) while other consumables charges will be added.

These tariffs will not apply to patients who have subscribed to insurance packages as well as agreements entered into between hospitals and corporates.

"The package rate ceilings for private patients are for general wards or multi-sharing wards. An additional 10 per cent may be charged for twin sharing and 25 per cent more for single rooms. There will be no ceiling for suites," said Bhaskar.

Public authorities authorized to refer patients to private hospitals include BBMP commissioner in Bengaluru Rural and Urban and respective deputy commissioners in the districts.

In case of an eventuality or unforeseen complications such as surgeries, comorbidities and pregnancies in the patients, additional packages under AB-ArK will apply.

In view of the prevailing unprecedented pandemic, all Covid patients belonging to the BPL and APL categories, migrant labourers and interstate returnees without PDS cards shall be considered eligible.

The Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust will be the nodal agency to settle the claims arising out of the treatment in public hospitals referred by the government.