Karnataka: Private hospitals struggle to pay staff as they await Govt reimbursement claims

Elaborating on their plight, they also stated that with the increasing cases of COVID-19, and with no reimbursement money the small medical facilities are more likely to get shut.

For instance, private hospitals are fearing that the Karnataka government may write off their reimbursement claims.

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Meanwhile, some of the private hospitals have given confirmation that they have received the first tranche of reimbursement on August 27. One of the private facilities in Rajajinagar claimed that they have only received 1.5 lakh out of the 40 lakh which they are yet to receive after treating 88 of the COVID-19 patients referred by the government facilities.

Notably, a delegation from PHANA, which has 384 member hospitals, is to visit SAST to talk about the issue of the delay.

A meeting of the executive committee of private hospital and nursing homes association was held on August 27 night where the economic crisis of the private hospitals and their inability to pay the salaries of the staff have been discussed.

One of the doctors and the owner of a nursing Home in South Bengaluru told TOI that "as we are COVID hospitals non-covid patients are not coming in. Half of our beds allotted for the government are largely empty and we cannot allow them to other patients. Our staff is ideal, but we have to pay them their salaries. Unless the government pays the dues, it would be difficult to pay the August salaries of our staff and clear the dues of vendors."