The Delhi Government's Health department is in the process of collecting fines from 16 private hospitals in Delhi for making undue profit in violation of the High Court orders.
The High Court had ruled that 10 per cent in-patient care (IPD) and 25 per cent of OPD services should be given to the poor and EWS patients free of cost. These two were the primary conditions mentioned in the allotment letter for giving land at a subsidised rate to these hospitals.
"The hospitals which are under Government's scanner include Max Balaji Hospital (IP extension), National Heart Institute, Bhagwati Hospital, Primus Superspeciality Hospital, Batra Hospital, Vimhans Hospital, Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, Delhi ENT hospital, Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital, Jeevan Anmol Hospital, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, Venu Eye Institute and Research Centre, Saroj Hospital, Deepak Memorial Hospital, Amar Joyti Charitable Trust and Max Hospital (Saket)," said an official.
In 2002, a PIl was filed in High Court and the court gave its order in March 2007 ruling that said private hospitals should be fined for earning profits from beds reserved for poor patients.
Dr Hem Prakash, additional director (EWS) in the Health Department told The Pioneer, "Hospitals have to pay the recovery amount till 2007. We are following the order of the High Court. And these hospitals have been asked to respond within a month."
A senior official in the Health Department said, "It is very unfortunate that we have found hospitals charging 10 rupees for a blood test, which they should not charge from poor and EWS patients. This shows how hospital administrations have compromised with their medical ethics."
Now, the Government has appointed nodal officers in each private and Government hospitals to look after the functioning of the hospitals in Delhi and linking officer between private and Government hospitals.
These officers will oversee the medical care of patients after they are transferred from Government hospitals to private ones, said the official.
It may be noted that recently Delhi Government slapped a fine of Rs600 crore on five private hospitals for not providing medical services to the EWS patients free of cost.
Fortis Escorts Heart Institute in Okhla, Max Superspeciality Hospital in Saket, Pushpawati Singhania Research Institute in south Delhi, Dharmashila Hospital and Research Centre and Shanti Mukund Hospital in east Delhi were fined.