On Tuesday, 27 February, the Supreme Court chided the Union government for its inability to specify a range of rates for accessing services at private hospitals and clinical establishments.
There is a mandatory provision in Rule 9 of the Clinical Establishment Rules of 2012, which requires the government to determine the fees chargeable at private healthcare facilities.
In response to this lapse, a Supreme Court bench directed the Union health secretary to convene a meeting with state counterparts and formulate a concrete proposal.
Healthcare provider associations as well as doctors’ bodies are against imposing a uniform rate. They contend that it poses a significant risk of compromising the quality of healthcare.
“Any capping of charges affects the privilege and rights of doctors in fixing their fees directly and indirectly. This is evident in smaller practices,” shared president of (IMA) Dr RV Asokan.
Dr Asokan also claimed that the responsibility for the Right to Health rested primarily with the government of each country rather than the private sector.
The head of operation of a private super-speciality hospital in Hyderabad explained that the rate of treatment in a private hospital was determined by various factors including location.