SC asks Centre to identify private hospitals to treat COVID patients | Fusion - WeRIndia

Many private hospitals in the country were given land free of cost by the government to construct their hospitals.

In this context, the Supreme Court asked the Centre why private hospitals that were given land free of cost or at nominal cost are not able to treat COVID-19 patients for free.

The court asked the government to reply on this matter within a week.

The apex court asked the government to identify the private hospitals that are running on public lands to treat COVID-19 patients for free of cost or at a nominal cost.

The court asked the government to identify such hospitals and inform the court. As these hospitals have been given lands free of cost, they should treat COVID-19 patients free of cost.

Earlier, advocate Sachin Jain filed a plea in the apex court alleging that the private hospitals are exploiting the COVID-19 patients.

The petition sought free COVID-treatment for patients in private hospitals.

The petition said that many private hospitals are running on public lands at concessional rates. Some others are operating under the category of charitable institutions.

Hence, they should have to treat COVID-19 patients for free at least now as the country is in the crisis.

Since there is a limitation in the public health sector in India, private hospitals should have to come forward and treat COVID-19 patients.

Besides, the petition requested the court to direct the government to bear the cost of COVID-19 treatment in private hospitals for certain categories of people. These include the poor and other people who do not have insurance cover or those whose insurance coverage surpasses their treatment.

The petition also said that the government should regulate the cost of COVID-19 treatment in private hospitals exercising its powers like the regularization cost of tests for COVID-19.

The court heard the petition and asked the Centre to submit its reply within seven days.

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