A parliamentary standing committee on health has recommended that basic room charges at private hospitals in large metropolitan cities should not exceed the average tariff of nearby three-star hotels, putting private hospital room pricing under renewed scrutiny. The recommendation comes while the Supreme Court is considering the broader issue of whether and how rates charged by private hospitals should be regulated. The recommendation is part of the committee’s 176th report, “Affordability and Accessibility of Healthcare Facilities in Public and Private Sector,” which examines concerns related to affordability and transparency in private healthcare.

The proposed benchmark specifically applies to basic hospital rooms and is intended to prevent room charges from becoming an excessive financial burden for patients, particularly when hospitalisation continues for several days. The report,…