No COVID-19 treatment: HC pulls up government for inaction against Apollo, Basavatarakam Cancer hospitals

Telangana: Expressing anguish over the functioning of two highly reputed private medical hospitals in Hyderabad who allegedly refused to offer treatment to poor COVID patients, the Telangana High Court has recently asked why is the government not initiating any action against these hospitals.

The observation came during the hearing of the petition filed by social activist and President of an NGO, confederate of voluntary Association against the two hospitals- Basavatarakam Indo-American Cancer Hospital and Research Institute and Apollo Hospital. The PIL sought the court to initiate action against the two corporate hospitals cited for not extending free treatment to COVID-19 patients coming from economically poor backgrounds and not reserving 50 per cent beds for them.

It urged for the Court's direction to instruct the two hospitals to reserve bed for the poor as well as to ensure treatment for them free of cost. The petitioner submitted that in spite of securing land from the government at a low price, the hospitals are not providing treatment to the poor patients free of cost. He also submitted that these two hospitals secured lands on prime locations on concessional rates after ensuring that they will reserve 15 to 25 per cent of the beds for poor and also will provide them free treatment but the hospitals have not practised either of these.

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"This court is surprised that the hospitals are collecting phenomenal amounts from COVID-19 patients. Newspapers had reported a case wherein a private hospital refused to hand over the body of a COVID patient to family as the bill was not paid. People are wondering as to what kind of private hospitals are being permitted to run by the Telangana government"