New Delhi: The Supreme Court has asked the Center to identify private hospitals across the country, where Covid-19 infected can be treated free or at the lowest rate.
While hearing the case through video-conferencing, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde said that there are private hospitals, which have been given land at free or nominal rates by the government. Therefore they should treat corona virus infected patients for free.
A bench of Chief Justice Bobde, Justice AS Bopanna and Justice Hrishikesh Roy asked the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to identify these hospitals and inform the court. The next hearing of the case will be a week later.
The bench passed the order while hearing a petition seeking directions to regulate the cost of treatment of Covid-19 in private hospitals across the country.
The petition filed said that the government should mandate private hospitals for free treatment of Covid infected patients who have been allotted public land at minimum rates.
Earlier, the court issued a notice to the Center on April 30 while hearing a petition filed by advocate Sachin Jain. The petition stated that private hospitals are “commercially exploiting” the patients suffering from the corono in times of crisis.
