Hospitals, whose negligence causes the death of a patient, will be booked under the provisions of the Clinical Establishment Act, state health minister Banna Gupta said on Thursday, requesting private healthcare facilities to be humane during the Covid-19 pandemic and not see it as an opportunity to mint money.

“This is the time to stand united and fight Covid-19. It is my humble request to all private establishments to not see this pandemic as an opportunity to mint money,” said Gupta. “Any healthcare establishment found guilty of negligence, which causes someone’s death, will be booked under the provisions of the Clinical Establishment Act,” he added.

Gupta, who overcame a Covid-19 infection last month, also said that the government was regularly evaluating fees charged by private healthcare facilities for testing and treating Covid-19. The government, he added, was committed to ensure that citizens of Jharkhand get access to best possible health facilities at an affordable price.

“Initially, the price for a Covid-19 test in private labs was Rs 4,500. We have regularly evaluated and revised the charges, and today, the cost of a Covid-19 test in Jharkhand is only Rs1,500,” said Gupta, adding that the treatment cost for Covid-19 at private hospitals has also been capped at Rs18,000 per day.

Throwing light on Jharkhand’s fight against the coronavirus so far, Gupta said Jharkhand had one of the lowest Covid mortality rates in the country, and a majority of the Covid victims in the state either had severe comorbid conditions or were senior citizens.

He said that the state's Covid recovery rate was above 88 per cent. The government, he added, expected the recovery rate to further rise in the next couple of days. “Doctors are doing a commendable job in our fight against the virus. We might soon achieve a recovery rate of 95 per cent if the current trend continues,” Gupta added.

The minister also said that the government would provide life insurance benefits to health workers who die in the line of duty while treating Covid-19 patients. “The government will stand in support of Corona warriors who are risking their own wellbeing while serving the people of Jharkhand,” Gupta said.

As per latest figures with the health department, nearly 90,000 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Jharkhand so far and 79,176 of them have recovered. There were 9,759 active Covid-19 cases in Jharkhand, as per a bulletin released by the National Health Mission (NHM) on Thursday afternoon.