Karnataka govt announces cap on COVID-19 treatment rates for private hospitals
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Tuesday announced a cap on coronavirus treatment package rates in private hospitals for those referred by public health facilities in the range of Rs 5,200 to Rs 10,000.
The rate for patients who approach private hospitals directly will be in the range of Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000.
State Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar issued the order based on recommendation of a committee headed by executive director of Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust formed to submit a proposal for fixing the packages rates for treatment of COVID-19 patients.
According to the order, package rates for patients referred by the public health authorities will be Rs 5,200 for general ward, Rs 7,000 for high-dependency unit (HDU), Rs 8,500 for isolation without ventilator and Rs 10,000 for isolation with ventilator.
The package rate ceiling for patients directly admitted to private hospitals under the non-insurance category who make cash payment will be Rs 10,000 for general ward, Rs 12,000 for HDU, Rs 15,000 for isolation without ventilator and Rs 25,000 for isolation with ventilator.
However, these rates would not be applicable for those subscribing to the insurance packages and the patients as per the agreement between the hospital and the corporates for their executives and employees. Also, there will be no ceiling for suites.
As per the order, 50 per cent of the beds in private hospitals having facilities to treat coronavirus cases shall be reserved for the treatment of patients referred by the public health authorities and this will include High Dependency Units and Intensive Care Units, which could be with or without ventilators.
The remaining beds hospitals can use to treat patients privately, the order read.
As per the order, while calculating 50 per cent of the beds to be utilised by government patients, the number will be counted irrespective of the fact that the beds are located in general wards, sharing wards or in private wards.
In respect of unforeseen complications, surgeries, comorbid conditions and pregnancy additional packages under Ayushman Bharat and Arogya Karnataka will be applied.
Regarding patients from below poverty line, above poverty line categories, migrant labourers and inter-state returners who do not possess public distribution system cards should be considered as eligible in view of the unprecedented pandemic.
"There should be no compromise on the quality of medical services rendered to the patients referred by the public health authorities and those admitted privately," the order said.
For the settlement of claims, the Suvama Arogya Suraksha Trust will be the nodal agency, the government said.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
