New Delhi : The practice of private hospitals compelling patients to
buy medicines only from their in-house pharmacies at "inflated prices"
has come under the judicial scanner with the Supreme Court seeking a
response on Monday from the Centre and states on why it should not be
banned.
A bench of Justices S A Bobde and L Nageswara Rao agreed to hear a
PIL filed by Vijay Pal Dalmia, alleging that they have to pay more
than Rs.20,000 more for each Biceltis injection purchased from the
hospital when Dalmia's wife was being treated for breast cancer. They
alleged that they were not allowed to get the medicine from outside
where it was cheaper, and challenged the practice of "fleecing and
looting" of patients by private hospitals.
" These acts of financial malpractices by hospitals all over India
are against humanity, morality and the right of the citizens to live a
dignified and respectable life, and the fact that it is also
obligatory on the governments to provide the best and affordable
health-care to citizens. Such practices by hospitals .... are against
public health, right to live a dignified and healthy life, and public
interest and morality," the petition said.
The petitioners alleged that they decided to file the PIL only
after getting first-hand experience of " an organised methodology for
looting and fleecing of patients by hospitals.
The petitioners said they were compelled to buy medicines only from
pharmacies within the hospital premises at highly inflated prices in
collaboration and connivance with drug manufacturers.
They said the hospital had charged Rs.61,132 for one Biceltis
injection, while the same medicine by the same company was being sold
in the open market at a discounted rte of Rs.50,000. Besides, on
purchase of four injections from the open market, one injection was
given free of cost, bringing down the effective cost per injection to
around Rs.41,000 they contended.
" Direct governments to ban hospitals from compelling patients to
mandatorily buy medicines from hospital and hospital pharmacies only
at MRP or manipulated and artificially inflated prices.... when the
medicines are available at lesser and heavily discounted prices in the
open market," the petition said.
" The governments, despite knowing all these malpractices adopted
by hospitals all over India, have shut their eyes and totally ignored
the interest of the patients, which they are bound to protest as they
have complete power and authority over the hospitals," the petition
said.
( The Times of India, Chennai, Tuesday, May 15, 2018 )
Courtesy : MPS
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