HYDERABAD: A week after questioning the government as to why land was not taken back from two corporate hospitals for not treating poor patients for free as promised by them, the Telangana high court on Thursday said that certain private hospitals in Hyderabad seemed to be more powerful than the government itself.
Hearing a batch of petitions on Covid-19 testing and treatment, a bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy sought to know from chief secretary Somesh Kumar when the state government would rein in private hospitals ignoring notices and violating GOs on capping charges. The judges pointed out that 30 of 46 hospitals had till now not even bothered to reply to government notices.
Private hosps still violating GOs: HC
The bench said: “You (government) received scores of complaints against private hospitals, especially on how they are fleecing people with exorbitant charges. You listed 60 errant hospitals. You served show-cause notices to 46 of them and only 16 hospitals furnished their replies so far. They continue to violate GOs on capping charges. They seem to be more powerful than the state government. They have the audacity to ignore the state.”.
The CS responded that the state was using the current pandemic as an opportunity to strengthen government hospitals in particular and public healthcare system in general. “One step towards this is to convert all beds in government hospitals, including PHCs, all over the state into oxygen-fitted beds. This does not mean that we will leave the guilty private players (hospitals) go scotfree,” the CS explained.
He said the need of the hour was to walk along with private hospitals in the fight against Covid-19. “We are trying to mend their ways,” he said.
Responding to a grievance of Somesh Kumar that they were finding it difficult to attend to multi-dimensional tasks requiring them to fight against the pandemic, arranging material for meetings of central teams and attending hearings, the judges told the CS that the endeavour of the court was only to ensure that the state emerges as a frontrunner in the entire country in the fight against coronavirus.
“Do not treat our remarks as a criticism of either the government or its machinery. We appreciate the fact that the state has implemented more than 90% of our directives. Think of the situation in March and now and you will realise the result of the combined effort,” the judges said.
The CS acknowledged that the government increased testing only after the court had directed them to do so. The CS said the rapid antigen tests were helping the state in its fight against the virus. “We are moving towards doing 40,000 tests per day very soon,” he added.
Upon a request from advocate general BS Prasad, the bench dispensed with the appearance of the CS for the next hearing. The judges sought to know as to why the government had taken action against only two hospitals by stripping them of licence to treat Covid-19 patients. The judges said: “It looks like the government is making some noise which can be seen only in newspapers. The government has asked the private hospitals to display Covid-19 treatment and test rates prominently. But, what will the government do if the hospitals do not implement this directive?”
Somesh Kumar told judges that government was keeping a close watch on the functioning of the private hospitals and assured the court that none would get out of the government radar.
It may be recalled Deccan Hospital and Virinchi Hospital were barred from treating Covid-19 patients over ‘surplus billing’ by the government. Several advocates, who appeared for the other petitioners, said the government’s action was an eyewash. “If the two hospitals are guilty of wrong practice, they are unfit to be in the field of treatment of all ailments and not just Covid-19,” they said. At this point, the judges suggested to the government to set up a grievance redressal cell under CS’s direct control. The CS said he would work on this suggestion.
Hearing a batch of petitions on Covid-19 testing and treatment, a bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy sought to know from chief secretary Somesh Kumar when the state government would rein in private hospitals ignoring notices and violating GOs on capping charges. The judges pointed out that 30 of 46 hospitals had till now not even bothered to reply to government notices.
Private hosps still violating GOs: HC
The bench said: “You (government) received scores of complaints against private hospitals, especially on how they are fleecing people with exorbitant charges. You listed 60 errant hospitals. You served show-cause notices to 46 of them and only 16 hospitals furnished their replies so far. They continue to violate GOs on capping charges. They seem to be more powerful than the state government. They have the audacity to ignore the state.”.
The CS responded that the state was using the current pandemic as an opportunity to strengthen government hospitals in particular and public healthcare system in general. “One step towards this is to convert all beds in government hospitals, including PHCs, all over the state into oxygen-fitted beds. This does not mean that we will leave the guilty private players (hospitals) go scotfree,” the CS explained.
He said the need of the hour was to walk along with private hospitals in the fight against Covid-19. “We are trying to mend their ways,” he said.
Responding to a grievance of Somesh Kumar that they were finding it difficult to attend to multi-dimensional tasks requiring them to fight against the pandemic, arranging material for meetings of central teams and attending hearings, the judges told the CS that the endeavour of the court was only to ensure that the state emerges as a frontrunner in the entire country in the fight against coronavirus.
“Do not treat our remarks as a criticism of either the government or its machinery. We appreciate the fact that the state has implemented more than 90% of our directives. Think of the situation in March and now and you will realise the result of the combined effort,” the judges said.
The CS acknowledged that the government increased testing only after the court had directed them to do so. The CS said the rapid antigen tests were helping the state in its fight against the virus. “We are moving towards doing 40,000 tests per day very soon,” he added.
Upon a request from advocate general BS Prasad, the bench dispensed with the appearance of the CS for the next hearing. The judges sought to know as to why the government had taken action against only two hospitals by stripping them of licence to treat Covid-19 patients. The judges said: “It looks like the government is making some noise which can be seen only in newspapers. The government has asked the private hospitals to display Covid-19 treatment and test rates prominently. But, what will the government do if the hospitals do not implement this directive?”
Somesh Kumar told judges that government was keeping a close watch on the functioning of the private hospitals and assured the court that none would get out of the government radar.
It may be recalled Deccan Hospital and Virinchi Hospital were barred from treating Covid-19 patients over ‘surplus billing’ by the government. Several advocates, who appeared for the other petitioners, said the government’s action was an eyewash. “If the two hospitals are guilty of wrong practice, they are unfit to be in the field of treatment of all ailments and not just Covid-19,” they said. At this point, the judges suggested to the government to set up a grievance redressal cell under CS’s direct control. The CS said he would work on this suggestion.
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