NEW DELHI: Indian authorities have proposed capping medical
costs at private
hospitals in the capital to help millions of people, but the plan would deal a blow to the multi-billion-dollar healthcare sector already grappling with price control policies.The move by Delhi’s health department comes at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s federal government has capped prices of medical devices such as knee implants, taking a tough line against what it calls “illegal profiteering” by companies. Modi’s government had also cited a need to rationalise hospital treatment
costs after it found they were raising other charges to compensate for losses faced due to government-set medical device prices.The Delhi state government this week directed private
hospitals not to charge patients more than a 50 percent “mark-up” on drugs and disposables, such as injections or gloves, according to a copy of the “advisory” seen by Reuters on Friday. It also proposed restricting overall
costs in some cases, saying
hospitals must waive off 50 percent of the bill if a patient dies within six hours of admission.
أكثر...