21-05-2025
Allow us to reduce EWS obligation: Indraprastha Apollo Hospital moves plea before SC
The Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in Delhi has moved an intervention application before the Supreme Court, requesting that it be allowed to reduce its EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) obligation to 10% in the In-Patient Department (IPD) and 25% in the Out-Patient Department (OPD).
If this proposal is accepted, the hospital would no longer be bound to maintain 200 EWS beds. Instead, it would be required to provide around 70 such beds, marking a significant shift in its obligation to serve the economically weaker sections.
At present, while 33% of the IPD and 40% of the OPD of the hospital cater to the EWS category, medicines and consumables are not provided free of cost to these patients, though they receive free treatment.
In an affidavit submitted to the SC on May 14, Indraprastha Medical Corporation Limited (IMCL) — which runs the hospital — submitted that it is ready to provide free treatment, along with free medicines and consumables, if it is allowed to use only 10% of its IPD and 25% of the OPD to treat EWS patients.
This comes after the SC had warned the hospital on March 25 that it would direct the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to take over its management if it failed to fulfill its land lease commitment given to the state government to provide free treatment to poor patients.
At 26%, the Delhi government has the largest stake in the hospital, which was handed over 15 acres of land on lease at a token rent of Re 1 per month.
Institutions like hospitals and schools, which get land from the government on concessional rates, are obligated, as per the terms of their lease, to provide free services to those from the EWS category.
In the affidavit, the IMCL has said that despite the recommendations of the Qureshi Committee, it remained bound by the terms of the lease deed, which imposed a 'higher and more onerous obligations of 33% free IPD and 40% OPD'.
In 2001, a report by a committee set up by the Delhi government, led by Justice A S Qureshi (retd), had recommended 25% OPD and 10% indoor services for EWS patients in private hospitals and nursing homes that had received land on concessional rates.
The IMCL also said that the obligation to provide 33% free IPD and 40% free OPD services resulted in a disproportionate burden on it. 'This happened because of the loss of exemption from customs duty and other benefits,' it added.
Further, the hospital said that while it had expressed willingness to purchase the land given on lease by the government, due to DDA policies, the land could not be allocated directly to a private company. The land was then allotted to the Delhi government, which in turn was leased to the IMCL.
The affidavit also submitted said that the Delhi government has received over Rs 87 crore till date as dividends from the hospital, and its original equity investment of Rs 23.83 crore has appreciated to about Rs 900 crore.
As per the court's instructions, the hospital submitted the existing bed strength and records of OPD and IPD patients for the last five years.
