Egypt Caps Costs for Treating Coronvirus at Private Hospitals

(Bloomberg) --

Egypt set a daily cap of 10,000 Egyptian pounds ($626) for treating coronavirus patients at private hospitals, citing complaints about inflated prices.

The Health Ministry stipulated a top-tier payment of 7,500-10,000 pounds for patients in intensive care and who require a ventilator. It capped the daily cost for patients in isolation and not in an ICU or on a ventilator at 1,500-3,000 pounds, according to a statement.

The move came after the ministry said it had received reports of prices “not in line with cost for services at these hospitals.”

Authorities recently expanded the facilities where virus patients can seek treatment to include private hospitals after initially limiting it to state-run institutions. The nation of 100 million has reported 26,384 cases and 1,005 deaths. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly recently said the daily infection number is likely to climb over the next couple of weeks.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.