Mangaluru :  Dakshina Kannada in-charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary on Saturday asked private hospital not to deny treatment to patients with Ayushman Arogya Karnataka cards who approach them under emergency just because they do not have referral from the government hospital concerned.

He was speaking at a meeting on treatment to COVID-19 patients at private hospitals in Athena Hospital here. In such a situation, private hospitals should get the referral from government doctors electronically through Arogya Mitra workers designated for the particular private hospital.

Mr. Poojary reiterated that private hospitals should reserve 50% of their beds for COVID-19 patients being referred from government hospitals. The discharge summaries of patients getting discharged from private hospitals should be attested by nodal officers concerned.

Meanwhile, the government has enhanced treatment charges for non-referral COVID-19 patients, Mr. Poojary said and if private hospitals indulge in collecting excess fees, the district health and family welfare officer should get the excess refunded.

Chairing a meeting of medical experts on COVID-19 here, Deputy Commissioner K.V. Rajendra urged the medical fraternity to intensify testing, tracing, and treatment (three Ts) in order to contain the spread of the pandemic.

It was essential to trace the primary and secondary contacts of COVID-19 positive person, test them, isolate them if found to be positive, and treat them. Only then the pandemic could be contained, he said, adding test results were being provided within 24 hours of obtaining samples.

Dr. Rajendra said the district has 10,398 active cases with 1,470 patients being treated in hospitals, 8,928 at home isolation, and 91 at Covid Care Centres. The positivity rate was 31.58% since seven days while the recovery rate was 84.63% and death rate was 1.23% during the period.