Supreme Court Grills Centre on Uniform Rates for Private Hospital Care

The Supreme Court in India has asked the Centre about the uniform rates for patient care in private hospitals, a question that was raised during a hearing on petitions challenging the government’s move on prescribing uniform rates for ophthalmological procedures across the country.

The court, comprising Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice BR Gavai, questioned how uniform rates could be fixed in private hospitals, citing market forces and the possibility of uniform fees for lawyers.

The case was tagged with an already pending case seeking directions to the Union government to notify rates for hospital treatment in line with rules under the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010.

The court also addressed a similar matter heard by a two-judge bench, which had remarked that private hospitals often reserve at least 25% of beds for Economically Weaker Sections when receiving subsidized land.