Punjab set to cap COVID charges in private hospitals, says Captain Amarinder Singh

Punjab Government is all set to cap the COVID treatment rates of private hospitals, and those not adhering to the same will be shut down, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said. The fee structure for private hospitals and clinics is expected to be finalised by Monday, the Chief Minister said during his Ask Captain session on Facebook. The Chief Minister termed such actions as `anti-people and anti-national’ and warned that the private institutions would not be allowed to indulge in such shameless profiteering at the cost of the lives of people. “If these hospitals do not agree to the government rates, we will close them down,” he added. Amid a spike in coronavirus cases in the state, which he attributed to the large number of people coming from other places, the Chief Minister said that he had sought from the Centre permission to allow the state to make COVID test certificates mandatory for all those crossing the border. Captain Amarinder Singh said that he had raised the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the latter’s Video Conference with chief ministers to review the coronavirus situation. With 87000 cars having entered Punjab from Delhi alone in recent days, and the spike in cases in the past only due to outsiders, the threat of the pandemic spiraling further was acute, the Chief Minister said. Also Read | Punjab CM convenes all-party meet on June 24 on central ordinances on farming sector He also said that he had requested the Prime Minister to allow entry of only those with valid COVID-free certificates. In fact, those leaving Punjab should also carry similar certificates to check the spread of the coronavirus into other states, he said. -PTC News