Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Mar 5: The Supreme Court on Wednesday criticized state governments for their failure to provide affordable healthcare to the poor and instructed them to formulate policies to regulate the excessive pricing of medicines and medical devices in private hospitals.

While hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed in 2018 by Siddharth Dalmia and another petitioner, a Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice NK Singh observed that the states’ inaction had “facilitated and promoted private hospitals.” The petitioners had accused private hospitals of forcing patients and their families to purchase medicines, implants, and other medical items from in-house pharmacies at inflated prices.

The PIL argued that the Centre and state governments had not taken necessary regulatory or corrective actions to prevent this practice, leaving patients vulnerable to exploitation by private healthcare providers. While acknowledging the petitioners’ concerns, the Supreme Court stated that it was the responsibility of state governments to ensure proper medical care for their citizens.

In its order, the Bench directed all state governments to consider the issue and take appropriate policy decisions. "We dispose of this petition with a direction to all state governments to consider this issue and take appropriate policy decisions as they deem fit," the Bench said.

The Court further pointed out that, in relation to the country’s population, states have failed to provide sufficient medical infrastructure to meet the diverse needs of patients. As a result, the states have relied heavily on private entities, which has led to the establishment of numerous well-known hospitals across the country. The Court stressed that both the state and the public are increasingly dependent on private healthcare facilities.