The state government has set up a consultative committee to look into complaints of exorbitant billing in the treatment of Covid-19 patients in private hospitals in Meghalaya, especially Shillong.
The committee comprises representatives of the Health Department, government and private hospitals.
Director of Health Services Dr Aman Warr will chair the body. The representatives of the private hospitals are Dr Meban Kharkongor of Dr H Gordon Roberts Hospital, Dr Papia Chakravorty of Woodland Hospital and Dr P Bhuyan of Nazareth Hospital. The others are Dr RF Tariang, Dr YA Phira, Prof Dr Suvamoy Chakraborty, Dr Andreas Dkhar, Dr Arwanlang Phanbuh and Sonata Dkhar.
The committee was set up in the wake of complaints by families of poor patients who had to shell out significant amounts of money to treat the Covid-infected in private hospitals.
Health Minister AL Hek said that an earlier meeting between the government and private hospitals was inconclusive and therefore it was decided to form a consultative committee to examine and recommend “reasonable rates” for treatment.
Meanwhile, Hek continued to insist that the state government is not forcing the public to take the Covid-19 vaccine but is only requesting that they do so.
The government has come in for attacks on some of their recent policies, including the one in East Khasi Hills that mandates shopkeepers and workers be vaccinated in order to reopen their shops after June 24.
