The Supreme Court has said private hospitals in Delhi operating on subsidised government land must provide free treatment to the poor, or face shutdown. These hospitals had been given land at concessional rates with a condition in the lease deed that they would provide free treatment to patients from the economically-weaker sections of society. This is to the extent of 25% of their OPD patients and 10% of their in-patients.
The Delhi high court had earlier ruled against private hospitals, acting on a public interest litigation filed by Social Jurist, a not for-profit organization. Following this, hospitals including Moolchand, St Stephen’s and Sitaram Bhartia had appealed to SC. Recently five private hospitals in the capital were fined Rs 600 crore for not treating poor patients, the Delhi government said similar action will be initiated over the next month against all 43 private…
