Question : FREE TREATMENT TO BPL PEOPLE

(a) whether the Government has issued/ proposes to issue any directions to the private hospitals including those run by Non-Governmental Organi- sations/Trusts across the country, which have been allotted land on concessional rates to comply with the condition of providing of free treatment to the patients belonging to EWS category;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether certain private hospitals recently have been found not complying with the said directions;

(d) if so, the details thereof along with the action taken by the Government in this regard; and

(e) whether beds in many hospitals remain vacant in the absence of proper awareness amongst weaker sections for availing this facility and if so, the details thereof along with the corrective steps taken by the Government in this regard?

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)

(a) to (d): Health is a State Subject. It is the responsibility of the State Governments to issues directions/ guidelines in respect of Hospitals under their respective jurisdiction. Directorate of Health Services (DHS), Government of NCT of Delhi (GNCTD) has informed that the GNCTD had issued guidelines in this regard on 04/04/2007 and 26.09.2011 to various identified private hospitals that had been allotted land at concessional rates by various land-owning agencies, inter alia, stipulating to provide certain percentage of their indoor beds and certain percentage of their OPD services free of cost to eligible patients of economically weaker section (EWS) category.

Presently, 49 private hospitals have been identified for this purpose. Out of these hospitals, 43 hospitals are providing free treatment. 4 private hospitals namely (i) Moolchand Khairati Ram Hospital, (ii) St. Stephen’s Hospital, (iii) Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research and (iv) Rockland Hospital (Qutab Institutional Area) have been exempted by Hon’ble High Court of Delhi from providing free treatment vide its order passed on 28.04.2014 in WP (C) Numbers 1478/2012, 3737/2012, 3792/2013 and 7183/2013. The GNCTD has filed SLP No. 2725-26/2015 in the Hon’ble Supreme Court challenging the order of Hon’ble High Court passed on 28.04.2014. Land and Development Office, Ministry of Urban Deve- lopment has also decided to file SLP against Hon’ble High Court’s order exempting St. Stephens Hospital and Moolchand Khairati Ram Hospital for providing free treatment.

The DHS, GNCTD has informed that one private Hospital i.e. Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute & Research Centre, allotted land by DDA, never provided free treatment to eligible EWS patients and the Directorate of Health Services, Government of NCT of Delhi has recommended cancellation of its lease-deed to the DDA, the land owning agency.

The DHS, GNCTD has informed that another Hospital namely Dr. B.L.Kapoor Memorial Hospital has stopped providing free treatment to eligible patients of EWS category since last week of May, 2014. The DHS, GNCTD has issued a legal notice to the hospital authority. DDA, the land owning agency, has also been asked to clarify the condition of free treatment to eligible patients by the Hospital, as per allotment conditions.

(e): The DHS, GNCTD has informed that out of 638 beds available in the 43 identified private hos- pitals, approximately 31% free beds remained vacant as on date despite the fact that these free services have been duly advertised in newspapers and electronic media from time to time for information of general public.

The GNCTD has taken following steps to improve utilization of free beds in identified private hospitals:

(i) Help Desks and Special Referral Centres have been established in Government and private hospitals respectively and Nodal Officers have been designated.

(ii) Monitoring Committee has been constituted with following composition:

 
 (a) Director Health Services	–	Chairman GNCTD (b) Medical Superintendent	-	Member Nursing	Home, GNCTD (c) Shri Ashok Aggarwal,	-	Member PIL	Petitioner (d) Medical Superintendent	-	Member St.	Stephens’	Hospital (e) Medical Superintendent	-	Member of the	identified	Hospital	concerned