Costs for permanence of patients with coronavirus in private clinics would generate unpayable debts

For the Association of Private Clinics and Hospitals it is necessary that people understand that an intensive care bed has another value than hospitalization.

The pandemic shows another reality. Several private clinics in the province of Tungurahua retain the bodies of people who died from Covid-19, until family members cancel large accounts.

Many had to make loans to friends, financial institutions, to the “chulco” or sign blank letters to cover the expenses that in several cases amount to USD 70 thousand.

For example, in intensive care at an Ambato clinic, one patient spent 19 days, because they were not received at the Regional Teaching Hospital and the Hospital of the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute (IESS) due to lack of beds. Despite the assistance, the patient died and when his relatives had to pay the bill, it was USD 66,380.

Another story is that of Vanesa, her uncle was admitted to a private clinic and died of coronavirus. Her mother was also ill, but because her health condition worsened, they had to remove her from that place and move her to Guayaquil.

“In order to take her, they made us sign a blank letter, now she fights for her life in the Intensive Care Unit of the IESS of Los Ceibos,” said Vanesa.

Another story is that of Sebastián. His wife became ill, he was at the IESS without a bed and without a respirator and when he got USD 5,000 to admit her to a private clinic, she died.

Other families did not want to return the corpses until they pay the debt.

Ximena Chaglla, provincial delegate of the Agency for Quality Assurance of Health Services and Prepaid Medicine (Acess), indicated that there is no institution that regulates prices in private clinics.

“At the moment we do not control prices, when we issue an operating permit we verify the quality components such as infrastructure, equipment, human talent, it is true that the public part is collapsed by the issue of Covid-19, but we have not framed ourselves to costs Chaglla said.

Ana Delgado Cedeño, executive director of the National Association of Private Clinics and Hospitals of Ecuador (Achpe), stated that citizens must understand that an intensive care bed has a higher value than one in hospitalization.

“The patient needs specialists, a general practitioner cannot attend him, the equipment is different, more expensive, much care is required,” she said.