New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) to convene a meeting to take a call to cap the treatment cost for COVID-19 treatment.
A bench led by CJI SA Bobde said it cannot regulate the treatment cost as it would change from state to state.
Petitioners including advocate Sachin Jain alleged that there are irregularities in the COVID-19 treatment fees in the private hospitals across the country. He said though the treatment has been given under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. The fees structure is uneven in the country.
Senior Advocate Harish Salve who appeared for several private hospitals submitted that the treatment cost cannot be regulated across the country.
“Every state has a model. While Gujarat has a model, it will not apply to Maharashtra. So, it cannot be done in the same way throughout the country,” Salve argued.
The Central Government submitted that it could not regulate and interfere in this affair. “As states had given lands to the hospitals and they are monitoring them, the centre is unable to direct private hospitals,” the Central Government said.
After the hearings, the SC asked the MoHF to consult with the petitioners and to form a committee to regulate the COVID-19 treatment fees.
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