In a bid to streamline the treatment of patients belonging to economically weaker sections (EWS), the Delhi Government on Wednesday directed its hospitals to refer such patients to private hospitals in order to utilise the beds reserved for the EWS category, as they largely remain vacant.

Of the 623 beds available for EWS patients in 41 private hospitals in the Capital, about 50 per cent remain vacant. Among these hospitals, 19 are equipped with super speciality treatment facilities.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain told reporters here that the referral of EWS patients from the government hospitals to private ones under the new scheme would help remove the confusion prevailing in the past.

Mr. Jain pointed out that in addition to the 623 beds, another 239 beds were available for EWS patients alone in the Indraprastha Apllo Hospital, Sarita Vihar, but most of them were vacant. “If the occupancy of EWS beds in private hospitals remains below 80 per cent, strict action will be taken against them,” he said.

“Figures show that these hospitals are saving at least Rs.75 crore annually by keeping the EWS beds vacant. In the Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, the occupancy of EWS beds is very low at an average of 10 per cent,” said Mr. Jain.

The Minister said one of the major reasons identified for the problem was the insistence of hospitals to charge the EWS patients for medicines and other consumables. In the Indrapastha Apollo Hospital, the State Government has decided to open its own chemist shop which will provide a discount of 80 per cent on the maximum retail price of medicines to the EWS patients with an annual income of less than Rs.1 lakh.

The Health Department has also decided to appoint 85 Patient Welfare Officers. These officers will identify EWS patients, facilitate their referral and assist the public.