New Delhi, News Agency: Cataract surgery in government hospitals costs ten thousand rupees; So how come private hospitals charge 30 thousand to 1 lakh 40 thousand rupees? The Supreme Court has questioned why this disparity in rates of medical treatment is wrong and why the law issued by the Center 14 years ago is not being implemented. The court also gave a solemn warning that if the Center fails to streamline the treatment rates, we will implement the rates fixed by the central government's health services across the country. (Supreme Court of India)
The issue of disparity in treatment rates in government and private hospitals has come to the fore once again, and the Supreme Court has now taken a strict stand looking into it. While giving directions on a petition filed by an NGO, the Supreme Court said that the Union Health Secretary should hold a meeting of all the State Health Secretaries within a month and decide on the matter.
take Bhushan Gavai and Justice Sandeep Mehta took the Center well on this issue. The court said that the difference between the rates of government and private hospitals is huge. While simple cataract surgery is done in government hospitals for 10 thousand rupees, private hospitals charge 30 thousand to 1 lakh 40 thousand rupees for it. This difference is critical. 14 years ago, the central government passed a law to fix treatment rates, but it does not seem to be implemented. (Supreme Court of India)
Center cannot shirk responsibility
The government told the Supreme Court that the Center has written letters to the state governments in this regard from time to time; But there is no response from them. According to the Supreme Court, access to health facilities is a fundamental right of citizens and the Center cannot shirk its responsibility on the grounds that it is.
Have a meeting within a month
After this, the Supreme Court directed that the Union Health Secretary should hold a meeting of all the State Health Secretaries on this issue within a month and ask them to implement the prescribed rates. If the central government is not able to resolve this, we will implement central government health scheme rates across the country.
Major demands in the petition
In this petition filed on behalf of a social organization 'Veterans Forum for Transparency in Public Life', it was demanded that all hospitals should determine the rates of medical treatment and implement it. It also demanded that central laws should be used if state governments could not fix uniform rates.
