The government is particularly concerned over non allocation of vacant beds meant for the poor people in private hospitals.The city government is planning to issue show cause notice to eight private hospitals including B.L. Kapoor Hospital, Max Hospital Saket, Escorts Heart Institute Okhla, Dharamshila Cancer Hospital, Fortis Hospital Vasant Kunj, Primus Super specialty Hospital Chanakyapuri, PSRI Sheikh Sarai and Rockland Hospital Qutab Institutional shortly.
These hospitals are being requested to submit reply. In case their reply is not found satisfactory, their registration will be suspended forthright and subsequent action will be taken in due course.
It has come to the notice of the government that the private hospitals, which were allotted land on concessional rates, have not been fulfilling their obligations in
providing free treatment to the poor patients. Even as earmarked free beds are vacant, it seems that the poor patients are being denied the same on certain filmsy grounds.
Delhi Health Minister Dr. A.K. Walia on Wednesday chaired a meeting on this issue. The meeting was attended by the Director, Health Services (DHS) Dr. N.K. Kamat and other senior officers of the department.
Dr. Walia instructed the DHS to issue show cause notices to the private hospitals, which have not been providing facility of free treatment to poor patients referred by the Government Hospitals.
The minister stated that the private hospitals are supposed to provide quality health care to poor patients as they have been allotted land at very concessional rate. Further they have also a responsibility to share the burden of patients in government hospitals.
It may be recalled that around 30% of the patient from neighboring states are coming for treatment in Delhi Government hospitals. The private hospitals should not run away from their responsibility.
The Government will ensure that the poor patients get free treatment in OPD and IPD in private hospitals. The private hospitals are obliged to provide 25% free treatment in OPD and 10% free bed to poor in IPD.