Private hospitals eye KCR Kits' scheme

Hyderabad: Private nursing homes in the State aspire to be part of the KCR Kits scheme as all Area and District hospitals across the State are receiving pregnant women in large numbers for ante natal treatment (until nine months) and for deliveries for last several months.

They want to share the burden as gynaecologists and nursing staff are being overburdened at times doing five to seven deliveries every day. Also, hundreds of pregnant women are seen waiting in long queues, when they turn up for monthly check-up as part of ante-natal care, to meet the doctor.

In the first year after its introduction in June 2017, nearly 2.3 lakh kits were distributed across the State. In the erstwhile ten districts, nearly 1,500 to 2,000 operations are being done in each district every month.

Government anyhow is giving benefits, cash and kit to every pregnant woman undergoing delivery in the State-run hospitals. Dr Sanjeev Singh, Secretary of Indian Medical Association, Telangana unit stated that they have conveyed their interest to the government on this issue and awaiting a decision.

He said that there are many private nursing homes in all districts with basic facilities for maternity treatment and operations and administration could make better use of them. The objective is to extend better treatment and healthcare to pregnant women and the newborn.

Dr B Narender Reddy, joint secretary of Telangana Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association, wanted the government to fix a common rate for each delivery (normal or caesarean) in private hospital.

Nursing homes want the common rate to be anything between Rs 12,000 and Rs 15,000 per delivery and they would extend free treatment to the pregnant women right from the starting period till delivery.

The other reason for Private Nursing Homes inclination to be part of this scheme is the fact that KCR Kits dealt a severe blow to 25-bed and 30-bed nursing homes in all districts. Pregnant women, who earlier used to visit these hospitals for ante-natal care and delivery, are queuing up at the State-run hospitals for obvious reasons.