Delhi HC notice to Centre, pvt hospital on plea of lawyer suffering from cancer – ET HealthWorld

The woman advocate claimed that she is a cancer patient and was denied cashless treatment.

A vacation bench of Justice Sanjeev Narula issued notice and listed the matter for July 18, 2022, for further hearing.

The court has also extended the interim order passed till the next date of hearing.

Explaining the reason why the CGHS cashless facility at the hospital, senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, representing the hospital, submitted in the court that the Central government is yet to pay Rs 270 crores to the hospital. He sought two weeks’ time to file a reply to the notice.

On the last hearing on June 3, 2022, it was mentioned by advocate Sethi that the government is obliged to pay a sum of almost Rs 270 crores to the hospital which remains outstanding to date.

It was also pointed out that in terms of the agreement all payments in respect of treatment which may be extended to CGHS employees on a cashless basis are liable to be reimbursed within a period of seven days.

During the hearing on June 1, 2022, it was submitted on behalf of the hospital the cashless facility was discontinued since huge dues amounting to almost Rs 200 crores have not been released and paid.

Earlier, another bench had passed an interim order for providing the facility to the petitioner.

The petitioner has sought a direction from respondents to continue to provide the CGHS cashless facility, being given to the petitioner from the year 2015 and continued till May 22, 2022.

The petitioner has also sought a direction from Central Government to reimburse the full amount of bills paid by her to the hospital within a period of one month.

The petition filed through advocate Shobhna Takiar stated that the petitioner is a senior citizen and the wife of a retired CGHS beneficiary.

It is stated in the petition that without any prior notice, the petitioner was refused cashless treatment at the hospital on 24 May 2022. She was forced to pay for the treatment prescribed by the hospital and endorsed by the CGHS.

The Central Government Tuesday filed an affidavit stating that as per record the Hospital has not issued any notice to exit from the CGHS panel and stopped providing cashless facilities to CGHS beneficiaries undergoing treatment, which is in violation of terms of MOA for CGHS Panel, and as such, the Hospital has no right under the law to unilaterally stop/withdraw cashless facilities to CGHS beneficiaries.