5 Delhi Hospitals Refuse Free Treatment to Poor, Fined Rs 600 Cr

The hospitals were given land at subsidised rates on the condition that they would offer free treatment to the poor.

The hospitals have been asked to pay the amount by 9 July, failing which further action will be initiated against them. (Photo Courtesy: maxhealthcare.in)

The Delhi government has asked five private hospitals in the city, to deposit “unwarranted profits” of over Rs 600 crore for refusing free treatment to the poor.

Dr Hem Prakash, Additional Director (EWS) in the Health Department, said five hospitals – Max Super Specialty Hospital (Saket), Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, Shanti Mukand Hospital, Dharamshila Cancer Hospital and Pushpawati Singhania Research Institute – were all provided lands at concessional rates between 1960 and 1990 on the condition that they would treat the poor free of cost.

These five hospitals did not abide by the conditions. We had sent notices to these hospitals earlier in December 2015, seeking their explanation as to why they failed to treat the poor and why they should not be fined. But none of them gave us satisfactory replies so we initiated action against them.

Dr Hem Prakash, Additional Director (EWS), Health Department

The penalty has been imposed on the basis of a High Court order passed in 2007 on a PIL demanding implementation of the provision of free treatment to poor and action against the erring hospitals. And the fine amount has been calculated accordingly

Dr Hem Prakash

(Photo Courtesy: dhrc.in)

The hospitals have been asked to pay the amount by 9 July, failing which further action will be initiated against them.

A total of 43 private hospitals in Delhi were allotted land at concessional rates on the condition that they will reserve 10 percent of their in-patient department capacity and 25 percent of their out patient department capacity to treat patients from economically weaker sections free of cost.

Fortis Healthcare’s subsidiary Escort Heart Institute and Research Centre has received an order to deposit Rs 503.36 crore for non-compliance of conditions of land allotment lease.

The management will challenge the same in the High Court of Delhi or such relevant authority to seek suitable legal remedies available to it under law.

<b>Escort Heart Institute and Research Centre</b>

Devki Devi Foundation, of which Max-Super Speciality Hospital in Saket is a unit, said:

We believe the order is unfair to us, we stand fully committed to discharging all our obligations towards economically weaker sections (EWS). We are extremely serious towards fulfilling our obligations. While we study the order in detail, we will appeal against this order in the appropriate forum.

<b>Devki Devi Foundation</b>

Director of Dharamshila Cancer Hospital, Suversha Khanna also said that they would challenge the order in the court.

Pushpawati Singhania Research Institute and Shanti Mukand Hospital could not be contacted.

(With PTI inputs)