Some private hospitals in Calcutta are planning to increase their charges beyond their annual rate revision because of a sharp dip in income following the coronavirus-related lockdown and mounting expenses, officials of several private health-care units said.

A few want to wait and watch, while others are contemplating the quantum of hike in patient charges.

Private health-care industry sources said hospitals would usually increase their charges by five to seven per cent annually to “cover inflation”.

But this time many are mulling a 15 to 20 per cent increase in charges, including those of beds, investigations, surgeries and other procedures, and consumables, sources said.

This, however, would not include the charges to be paid by patients admitted under various government health schemes, they said.

Some hospitals are charging for personal protective equipment from patients to reduce expenses.

The chairman of one private hospital has tweeted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi pleading for refund of outstanding income tax, while another hospital group has written to chief minister Mamata Banerjee, requesting her to speak to banks and financial institutions for soft loans for hospitals.

Most hospitals in Calcutta are running at 30 to 35 per cent bed occupancy because of the lockdown. A large number of elective surgeries have been postponed and outpatient departments are all shut.

The CEO of a private hospital in south Calcutta said if the situation did not improve by May, they would have to go for major borrowings and that would result in increase in charges.

The bulk of patients at Calcutta’s private hospitals come from Bangladesh and Bhutan, as well as from districts of Bengal and other states of the country.

Because of the lockdown, the flow of patients has stopped. It’s not clear when international flights or inter-state transport connectivity would resume even after the withdrawal of the lockdown.

Private hospitals, however, said they had to maintain a minimum operational cost since the facilities were open.

“Apart from the low occupancy rate, we have to pay huge amounts to buy personal protective equipment and N95 masks for health-care workers and doctors who are treating Covid-19 patients or those who have similar symptoms. The price of these gear has gone up by three to four times,” said Rupak Barua, the group CEO, AMRI Hospitals.

He said the providers of these gear are refusing to allow credits because of high demands and low supplies.

“So, we are telling the relatives of patients admitted with Covid-19 or symptoms of the disease to pay for these equipment additionally. Otherwise, the financial burden would be huge,” he said.

Barua said the AMRI group had requested the chief minister to speak to banks and financial institutions for soft loans for hospitals.

“Medica hospitals, largest chain in Eastern India is not able to pay salary, please pay outstanding income tax refunds of 17-18,” Medica Superspecialty Hospital chairman Alok Roy has twitted to the Prime Minister. He said there was no reply yet from the central government.

All other hospitals have written to organisations such as the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI), Central Government Health Scheme and defence ministry to release dues that resulted from treating patients under these schemes.

“Currently, our OPD numbers are at five per cent of our normal volume. Patients’ capacity to pay will also be majorly affected because of the economic crisis that will result from the Covid-19 pandemic,” said R. Venkatesh, regional director, east, Narayana Health, of which the RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences is the flagship unit.

He said minimal activities were putting enormous strains on the finances. “We are requesting the governments to clear all dues under various schemes,” he said.