New Delhi: Delhi government on Friday issued notices to 34 private hospitals in the city for not complying with court directive of providing free treatment to the poor patients. All private hospitals which were given government land at concessional rates are required to reserve 25 per cent of their out-patient department capacity and 10 per cent of beds for free treatment of the poor.
"We have issued notices to 34 defaulting private hospitals for not fully complying with the directions of the Supreme Court and Delhi High Court with regard to providing free treatment to patients from economically weaker sections," Healthy Minister AK Walia said. Forty-three private hospitals are required to comply with the directive.
Major hospitals which have been issued notices include Dharamshila Hospital and Research Centre, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, Max Super Speciality hospital (East Block, Devki Devi) in Saket, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, GM Modi Hospital, Primus Super Speciality hospital, Batra hospital, Jeewan Anmol hospital, Bensups hospital, RB Seth Jessa Ram hospital, Rockland Hospital and Fortis hospital in Vasant Kunj.
Walia said eight hospitals were found to to be fully complying with the directions of the courts. These hospitals are Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, Max Super Speciality hospital in IP Extension, Bimla Devi Hospital, Venu Eye Institute, Vinayak hospital, Sir Ganga Ram hospital, Bhagwati hospital and Bhagwan Mahavir hospital. The Minister said recently government has included Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research, Jivodaya hospital and Guru Harkishan hospital in the list of private hospitals requiring to provide free treatment to poor patients.
"Delhi Government is committed to fully implement the directions of the courts so that the poor patients benefit," he said adding medical superintendents of government hospitals have been told to refer more poor patients to private hospitals. A Monitoring Committee constituted by Delhi government inspects the private hospitals to monitor compliance of the court orders.
Walia said a total of 9,99,136 poor patients were treated in out-patient departments of the private hospitals while 24,207 patients were treated as indoor patients in 2011-12. Any patient who is a citizen of the country and has a monthly family income less than the minimum wages of an unskilled worker which is presently Rs 7,254 is considered eligible to get free treatment in the private hospitals. Patients carrying BPL or Antodaya Anna Yojna card are also eligible to get the free treatment.
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