Despite the capping of Covid-19 treatment costs by the Telangana government, some private hospitals are reportedly charging as per their whims and fancies. A report brought out by Dheeshma Puzhakkal for Newsmeter says that corporate hospitals such as Sunshine Hospital and KIMS have overcharged some of their customers.

"For 7 days treatment, KIMS charged a COVID patient Rs 4.25 lakh. Sunshine Hospital charged Rs 9.7 lakh, including Rs 30,000 for sharing rooms, and Rs 60,000 for suites. For ICU, it is around Rs 60,000-Rs 70,000," says the report, putting out the bills of a few customers the portal spoke to.

The figures are extremely shocking. Going by the report, the KCR government has to put in place checks and balances to plug the loopholes.

With cases on the surge, scores of infected people are going to be admitted to hospitals in the coming weeks. Private hospitals are unlikely to adhere to government-mandated price caps unless there are proper enforcement mechanisms in place. There is a need to assure the poor and the middle-classes that pandemic-time profiteering will be curbed.