New Delhi: The Supreme Court asked Friday private hospitals whether they are ready to provide treatment to COVID-19 infected patients at the charges prescribed under the government’s ‘Ayushman Bharat’ scheme.
The ‘Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana’ is aimed at providing health cover to poor and vulnerable persons in India.
A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde observed that the apex court is not asking all the private hospitals to treat certain number of COVID-19 patients for free. The bench, also comprising Justices AS Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy, said it is asking only those private hospitals, which have been given land at concessional rates by the government, to treat certain number of coronavirus infected patients for free.
“I just want to know if hospitals are ready to charge at Ayushman rates,” CJI Bobde observed during the hearing which was conducted through video-conferencing.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, told the bench that government is doing its best for the lowest strata of society. People who cannot afford treatment are covered under the ‘Ayushman Bharat’ scheme.
The top court, which posted the matter for two weeks from now, was hearing a plea which has sought a direction for regulating the cost of treatment of COVID-19 at private hospitals across the country.
During the arguments, the bench observed that there is an earlier judgment which said that hospitals, which have been given land on concessional rates, should treat certain number of patients for free.
“Why cannot these hospitals treat a certain number of patients for free,” the bench observed. “Please ensure they do some service,” it added.
Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for a healthcare federation which has filed intervention application in the matter, said that hospitals which have received land on concessional rates are already complying with the requirements.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for an association of hospitals which has also sought to intervene in the matter, said that they are already complying with all the directions passed in the verdict, which was referred by the bench.
Advocate Sachin Jain, who has filed the petition, told the bench that rates prescribed under the ‘Ayushman Bharat’ scheme should be made applicable to the hospitals.
“The Union of India should stand with the citizens and not with corporate hospitals,” Jain said.
“Is it your case that no hospital should make profit during this period?” the bench asked the petitioner. Jain then told the bench that he can show how Ayushman Bharat scheme has been decided keeping in view the profitability of hospitals.
Meanwhile, the Centre has filed an affidavit in the matter and said that there is no provision under the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010 ‘whereby it is mandated that the private hospitals running on the public land shall treat COVID-19 patients on free basis’.
PTI