Govt to SC: 10 hospitals fail to abide by HC verdict

The Delhi government on Monday told Supreme Court that the 27 private hospitals treating poor patients free were not even charging money for diagnostic facilities, imaging and laboratory investigation.

The Delhi government on Monday told Supreme Court that the 27 private hospitals treating poor patients free were not even charging money for diagnostic facilities, imaging and laboratory investigation.

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In an affidavit filed before SC, the Directorate of Health Services opposed the appeal filed by 10 hospitals that are not willing to abide by the Delhi high court verdict directing them to provide free treatment to 10% IPD and 25% OPD patients.

The affidavit was filed in response to SC’s last week direction seeking details of how the 27 private hospitals were treating poor patients for free. These 27 hospitals are giving the treatment in accordance with the HC judgment. SC had asked for a detailed affidavit after counsel for Dharamshila Hospital claimed that these 27 hospitals were not providing medicines free of cost.

Submitting bills of few hospitals, the government called for dismissal of the hospitals’ appeal before SC. It said: “When the 27 hospitals can provide free treatment to poor as per the HC directions, there should not be any difficulty or impediment for the remaining 10.”