High Court slams Apollo Hospital for charging exorbitantly from poor

The Delhi High Court was today critical about the Indraprashta Apollo hospital charging exorbitantly from poor patients for treatment.

"Is it the way you provide free treatment to the patients falling under the economically backward section"? a Division Bench of Chief Justice A P Shah and Justice Manmohan told the counsel for the hospital.

After perusal of the details furnished by the hospital following the court's previous order relating to the procedure for treatment of the poor, the Bench slammed the hospital for its attitude towards the poor and asked the Delhi government to verify the details.

According to the hospital counsel, the hospital did not charge for the doctors' fee and the room rent from the poor patients but for other tests like MRI they charge Rs 6000, for X-ray Rs 120 and for liver transplant the hospital charges Rs 12 lakh.

The Bench was hearing a PIL seeking direction to the Delhi government to take action against the hospital as it allegedly violated the Leese deed condition while obtaining the land at a throw-away price to provide free treatment to the poor.

According to the lease deed between the hospital and the government, the Apollo would provide free treatment to the poor.link