Since Health is a State subject, the information regarding allotment of land to certain private hospitals at concessional rate with the condition to provide free treatment to the poor patients in the country is not maintained centrally. However, the Directorate of Health Services under the Government of NCT of Delhi has informed that as per their available record, there are 46 functional identified private hospitals which were given land on concessional rates by land allotting agencies, namely, DDA, MCD and L&DO. Out of the 46 functional identified private hospitals, 43 private hospitals are providing free treatment to the eligible patient of EWS category, to the extent of 10%IPD and 25% of total OPD completely free of any charges, as per the directions of Hon’ble High Court of Delhi and Hon’ble Supreme Court of India and three hospitals, namely, Mool Chand Khairati Ram Hospital, St.Stephen’s Hospital and Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute & Research Centre are not providing free treatment and their matter is subjudice before the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi. The Directorate of Health Services under the Government of NCT of Delhi has also informed that the identified hospitals whose achievements in IPD or OPD or both is less than requisite 10% IPD and 25% of total OPD for the year 2012 have been issued notice by the Directorate of Health Services, GNCTD.
Govt. of NCT of Delhi has informed that the following major steps for implementing the provision of free treatment in identified private hospitals:
1. The Govt. of NCT of Delhi has issued fresh guidelines in pursuance of the order of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India dated 1.9.2011 in SLP No.18599/2009 in the matter of Dharamshila Hospitals & Research Centre Vs. All India Lawyers Union & others connected matters.
2. A monitoring Committee has been constituted under Director Health Services by GNCTD to monitor the free treatment provided by the identified private hospitals to EWS patients. The Monitoring Committee inspects 4 to 5 such hospitals each month for ensuring the implementation of the directions made by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India and Hon’ble High Court of Delhi.
Special Referral Centres have been established and Nodal Officers have been appointed in each of the identified private and Government Hospitals for facilitating the referral and treatment of EWS patients.
Advertisement regarding the provision of free treatment is regularly published in the leading daily newspapers in Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu & English and broadcast in the electronic media, Television & FM Channels) to increase the public awareness amongst them.
A webpage www.health.delhigovt.nic.in-MIS link of Department of Health & Family Welfare-Free Bed Monitoring, has been created by the Govt. of NCT of Delhi which displays the real time availability of free Critical & Non-Critical beds and names and contact number of Nodal Officers for facilitating the referral of EWS patients from Govt. Hospitals to identified private hospitals and for monitoring purposes. This webpage is also for the public display.
A full day Workshop was organized by Directorate of Health Services, Govt. of NCT of Delhi wherein all the stakeholders participated and the authorities of identified private hospitals were sensitized in order to facilitate the free treatment to EWS patients and increase the number of EWS patients availing this facilities.
The above information was given by the Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.