NEW DELHI: The
Supreme Court (
SC) on Monday ruled that private Delhi hospitals operating on subsidised government land will have to provide free treatment to patients belonging to economically weaker sections.
The SC said that any violation of this agreement between private hospitals and the government - in the matter of how many beds have to be reserved for poor patients - will not be tolerated and it will treated as contempt.
The apex court further said it will monitor the functions of private hospitals to ensure that poor patients are treated free of cost. It also directed the Delhi government to file periodical reports on the compliance of its order.
