Question : Guidelines for Free Medical Treatment

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) the guidelines/norms/criteria fixed for providing free or at concessional rates medical treatment facility to poor patients in private hospitals of the country State/ UT-wise, including Hathras District of Uttar Pradesh;

(b) the number of patients given free medical treatment in the country during the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise especially in the above said region;

(c) whether the Government has received any complaints against various private hospitals regarding denial of free/ concessional treatment facility to such patients and if so, the details thereof and the action taken thereon; and

(d) whether the Government has framed any central law/legislation to ensure that medical treatment facilities are provided to the poor and serious patients by the private hospitals free of cost and without any delay and if so, the details thereof?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)
(a) & (b): Since Health is a State subject, it is the responsibility of the State Government to regulate hospitals including private hospitals in their States as per provisions of the Act and rules applicable in the States to provide affordable treatment to patients. Details in this regard are not maintained centrally.

(c): No such specific complaint has been received in this Ministry.

(d): The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare is implementing Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna (RSBY). Under this scheme, both public and private hospitals are empanelled. It is a centrally sponsored scheme to provide health insurance to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families and other defined categories of Unorganized Workers. Under Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna (RSBY), Senior Citizen Health Insurance Scheme (SCHIS) and the newly approved Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM), the cost of treatment is borne by Central Government as well as State Government on a pre-determined ratio.

Further, as per provisions of the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010, one of the conditions of registration of clinical establishments is that every clinical establishment is required to provide treatment “within the staff and facilities available” to stabilize the emergency medical condition of any individual, who comes or is brought to such clinical establishment. The Act is, however, applicable only in eleven States and all Union Territories (UTs) except Delhi. The implementation and enforcement of the said Act is within the purview of the State/UT Governments.