APNH objects to uncalled for vilification of private hospitals

Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: The Association of Private Nursing Homes has strongly condemned the deliberate attempt to push the blame of COVID19 mortality on private hospitals saying the delay in mortality reporting was administrative and not deliberate.
Dr Milind Colwalkar, president of the Association of Private Nursing Homes, Goa, said he was deeply disappointed by unnecessary and uncalled for criticism of private hospitals by issuance of show cause notices issued to nine private hospitals for delayed reporting of Covid deaths.
“We have asked individual hospitals to respond appropriately to the show cause but as APNH we feel that this is a diversionary tactics to paint all private hospitals in a bad light and we strongly object to this uncalled for criticism,” the APNH president said.
He said that despite being short on staff, equipment and infrastructure, Covid treatment was virtually thrust on the private hospitals which were not at all geared towards Covid care.
“These Hospitals had to suddenly invest in costly equipment, recruit more staff, make changes to the infrastructure at a huge cost which as the cases come down may now prove to be a liability. Despite these constraints, the Hospitals did not shy away from their responsibility, did their very best, worked tirelessly in extremely difficult and dangerous circumstances putting themselves and their family members at a huge risk,” he said.
Dr Milind said their efforts have certainly contributed to bringing down the morbidity and mortality rates from this deadly second wave .
“Secondly, It is not possible to perform the final rites without a death certificate mentioning the cause of death or intimating the concerned municipality or the Panchayat.
The statistics are also uploaded regularly by concerned Hospitals. If there is any deliberate attempt to hide, it will come out after the government enquiry but as far as we know, the error is only administrative,” he alleged.
He said there is nothing to be gained by any Hospital for not reporting.
“Error if any is of delay and we believe it is administrative rather than deliberate. We do not expect any appreciation or applause but such kind of vilification is highly condemnable and APNH strongly protests this,” he said.’