What it costs to treat a coronavirus patient

At least 80 per cent of the Covid-19 patients are being treated in government hospitals across India.   

On an average, treatment of a normal Covid-19 carrier, without ventilators or other life-saving equipment, costs between Rs 20,000 and 25,000 daily, a senior doctor at the Thiruvananthapuram medical college hospital said.   
That means a 14-day treatment of a patient costs between Rs 280,000 to 350,000. Usually, patients are discharged after three to five consecutive tests turn negative. In some cases, tests will go up to eight to ten 
to get a definite result, 
doctors say.   

The swab test of a suspected patient costs Rs 4,500/-. The price of the test kit alone is Rs 3,000/-. If a person is tested or shows symptoms of Covid-19, he‘s supposed to travel only in 
an ambulance.   

At least 200 personal protection equipment kits are required in a Covid-19 hospital with 100 beds. Doctors and nurses will have to change their kits every four hours. If you are nursing a critically ill with heavy load of virus, PPE kits of nursing staff have to be changed frequently, a nursing superintendent of a Covid-19 hospital said.   

One standard PPE kits costs between Rs 750/- to 1,000/-. Antibiotics, anti-vitriol and other medicines cost between Rs 500 to 1,000 daily for a patient besides food.   
- Thiruvananthapuram, (Hindustan Times), 22 April 2020