The Hindu : New Delhi News : Delhi Govt. should file a review petition: Ram Babu

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 10, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

Delhi Govt. should file a review petition: Ram Babu

Staff Reporter

High Court order bringing down income slab for free treatment

NEW DELHI: Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Ram Babu Sharma on Thursday asked the Delhi Government to file a review petition in the Delhi High Court seeking revision of its order asking hospitals which have got land at discounted rates to provide free treatment to patients whose income is less than Rs. 2,000 per month.

In a letter to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, the DPCC president stated that the recent order of the High Court would badly hit the poor sections of society and the Government should immediately approach the Court for revision and relief. Stating that the minimum salary prescribed by the Delhi Government was Rs. 3,000 per month, Mr. Sharma asked how could anybody get free treatment below the Government criteria as such a record would not exist.

He said the Delhi Government should seek revision of this monthly income to Rs. 4,000 as the Government itself was of the view that only those people whose income was below Rs. 48,000 per year were qualified to get old age pension.

Mr. Sharma said it was unfortunate that the standing counsel of the Delhi Government did not inform the Court of the correct position and this had led to passing of such orders that would hit the poor people badly. At the same time, Mr. Sharma said the Delhi Government should issue a fresh circular to all hospitals that have got land on a concessional basis that they should treat poor patients under the free treatment scheme without any bias or discrimination.

Mr. Sharma said despite standing orders to these private hospitals to provide free treatment to poor patients, there hade been many instances where such treatment was not being provided to the poor and these hospitals were minting big money in the name of poor.

Further, Mr. Sharma said the hospitals should also be asked to put display boards stating that free treatment for poor patients was available in the hospital. These boards should also indicate the place where such treatment was being made available and a nodal officer should be nominated by the hospitals to carry out this task.

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