The government is looking to implement a 10% reservation of beds in private hospitals for free treatment within a month, although officials of private hospitals said they are awaiting clarity from the state.

Health minister Sharadwat Mukherjee had on Thursday asked private hospitals that received land or other facilities from the state to provide free treatment to 10% of indoor patients and 20% of outpatient cases.

At a meeting on Saturday, Mukherjee placed the proposal before hospitals that have not received land from the state.

“We have received a commitment of 1,500 beds from private hospitals. On Monday, we have a meeting scheduled with private medical colleges in the state,” Mukherjee said on Saturday evening.

A senior official of a private hospital said more rounds of discussions were likely before the plan is implemented.

“It has to be a win-win for both the government and private hospitals. We are waiting for more clarity,” the official said.

“Will the government offer us benefits like subsidised electricity or other concessions in return? We are waiting for the proposal to be laid out in greater detail,” another hospital official said.

An official also said the government wants hospitals to provide medicines free of cost.

“Medicines account for about 25% of a patient’s treatment cost. In surgical cases, the share could be lower, but in non-surgical cases it is high. We have to wait and see if the government will provide us medicines at subsidised rates for these 10% beds,” the official said.

The patients to be treated free of cost will be those referred from state-run hospitals, officials were told.

However, the mechanism — whether through an online referral system or another process — needs to be finalised.

The government is also planning a free ambulance service for patients referred from state hospitals to private facilities, the official said.

Minister of state for health Sumana Sarkar and senior health department officials were present at Saturday’s meeting.

Some private hospitals said they would also seek clarity on what would happen if non-free beds were full and an emergency patient arrived.

Mukherjee has directed that all indoor treatment costs — including bed charges, consultation fees, consumables, pharmacy, surgeries and related expenses — be provided free of cost.

The meeting also decided that a dedicated facility manager will be assigned for the free service, and earmarked beds will be available across specialities.