CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Friday directed Puducherry government to immediately reimburse private hospitals that treated Covid patients. “It is imperative that the government takes up the matter relating to the payments... on a priority basis so that the treatment rendered to Covid patients is not compromised by the private organisations for lack of funds,” first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy said.
The issue pertains to one A Anand alleging private hospitals and medical colleges in Puducherry have been demanding payment from patients despite treatment being funded by the government. When the plea came up for hearing on Friday, the counsel for the private hospitals informed the court that though they have been earmarked by the government for exclusive Covid treatment, no money has been forthcoming from local government even to provide for daily diet of many patients who have been admitted.
The UT government told the court that the bills provided are being scrutinised. “Whatever the level of scrutiny that is to be undertaken, it is inconceivable that what is essentially the government’s duty would have been performed by private players without the government even picking up the tab on a day-after or reasonable period-after basis,” the bench retorted. The bench then directed the Puducherry government to release substantial payments to private hospitals to enable the continued treatment. The court adjourned the plea to next week.