Pvt Hospitals Overcharging Covid-19 Patients: Delhi High Court Directs Grievance Redressal Committee To Decide Senior Citizen's Plea In 6 Weeks

The Delhi High Court has directed the Committee, constituted by the Delhi Government for dealing with complaints of excess billing of Covid patients by private hospitals, to expeditiously decide a complaint made by a 63-year-old senior citizen.

Justice Rekha Palli disposed of the plea while ordering thus:

"Liberty is granted to the petitioner to approach the Committee constituted by the GNCTD. The Committee is directed that as and when a complaint is filed by the petitioner, same be decided expeditiously following due procedure within six weeks from the date of filing of complaint."

"In case the petitioner is still aggrieved, it will be open for him to seek legal recourse as permissible in law," the Court added.

The Delhi Government had, vide order dated 15 June, 2021, constituted a Committee providing for a grievance redressal mechanism with respect to overcharging billing from private hospitals in the national capital.

The petitioner had approached the High Court seeking directions against a private hospital for violating the Delhi Government's order dated 20th June, 2020 stipulating the maximum per day package rates for COVID related treatments in Private Hospitals in NCT of Delhi.

It was the case of the petitioner that after getting the treatment for 36 days, he was exorbitantly charged for medical expenses carried out amounting to Rs.17,89,329.

"It is pertinent to mention that the calculation of the bill amount raised was not according to the rates stipulated by the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Health and Family Welfare Department which violates the Order mentioned above prima facie. The prescribed maximum per day package rates for COVID related treatments in private hospitals in NCT of Delhi is, up to Rs.18,000/- per day provided that the patient was admitted in ICU with the need of Ventilator," the plea read.

During the course of hearing on Tuesday, Advocate Satyakam appearing for the Delhi Government submitted that a Committee has been constituted in each district setting out a procedure to file a complaint in cases of overcharging by private hospitals.

He also submitted that 80 complaints were filed since the passing of the order in June this year and that only 6 of such complaints were pending currently.

In view of this, it was submitted by Delhi Government that the matter must be relegated to the said Committee. 

Noting that no objection was shown by the counsel for petitioner, the Court disposed of the plea by granting liberty to the petitioner for approaching the Committee.

Case Title: Keshav Gupta v. GNCTD