AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat high court on Friday issued a notice to the state government and Cadila Healthcare Ltd in response to a PIL complaining that the private company has started charging the poor and those having BPL cards for medical services in Dahod’s General Civil Hospital after its management was handed over to the company last year.
Four residents of Dahod have filed the PIL through advocate Ruturaj Meena, taking exception to the privatization of the district hospital by the state government in order to create a self-financed medical college. They have complained to the court that Zydus Cadila has violated the terms of agreement in handing over the hospital. The petitioners have said that the private management of the hospital is charging the poor and BJP patients for medical services which were given free at the civil hospital. The company has even changed the name of the hospital in violation of its agreement with the government
The hospital is required to incorporate 300 beds for the establishment of a new medical college and the state government was to assist in this expansion, and the hospital management now claims that it will give free service to 300 patients only. In 2016-17, the civil hospital gave medical service to, on an average, 495 outdoor patients a day. At the hospital last year, 2,373 major and 6,358 minor operations carried out. Charging a poor patient will cause great problems for the local population because Dahod is a tribal district, the petitioners said.
The petitioners also sought the cancellation of the agreement of transfer of the hospital management on the grounds that the hospital does not adhere to the Medical Council of India’s criterion of having minimum 20 acre land. Moreover, to expand medical facilities, the nursing college and the hostel, which were situated near the hospital, have now been shifted to a distance.
The petitioners have said that the private management of the hospital is charging the poor and BJP patients for medical services which were given free at the civil hospital. The company has even changed the name of the hospital in violation of its agreement with the government
Further hearing in this matter will take place on March 14.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/pil-opposes-transfer-of-dahod-district-hospital-to-pvt-hands/articleshow/62952878.cms
March 13, 2018 at 4:45 pm
The PIL shold be considered immediately. The transfer of hospital to private hands might make poor patients suffer