The Madras High Court has issued a number of guidelines for the effective implementation of the Health Insurance Scheme in hospitals.
This is the bench Justice R. Mahadevan again Justice J. Sathya Narayana Prasad directed the State Empowered Committee to conduct periodic review meetings to process complaints and irregularities related to the implementation of the scheme and the deaths of patients covered by the scheme.
The bench also ordered an inspection of hospitals that have been fitted with a microphone. The bench also ordered that a toll-free number be provided for the public to inquire and register complaints related to the hospitals and the scheme.
The Court also issued an order to appoint an officer who will work in all the Regional Government Hospitals to provide assistance to the community that wants to receive the benefits of this program.
The Court directed the state-mandated insurance companies to process and settle the relevant claims without delay.
The Court issues these directions while dealing with the application of the Cardio Thoracic Surgeon. The applicant stated that while working at the hospital, a patient, covered by the Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme, died after the anesthetist left mid-surgery to attend to another patient, who was not included in the said scheme.
According to the petitioner, a large number of people are not aware of the various insurance schemes that have been introduced to provide people with world-class health care, especially for the poor, through government and private hospitals.
Advocate L.Infant Dinesh appeared for the petitioner and Senior Government Counsel VBSundareshwar and the Public Prosecutor P. Thilak Kumar the Respondents appeared.
The Court noted that “… Government medical programs are important in ensuring that citizens receive high-quality health care, however, the implementation of these programs is in jeopardy because of private hospitals, which have been trying to exploit this system for their own gain. .”
“Failure in the implementation and monitoring of this program has led to a decline in the quality of health care for citizens, who are already struggling to meet their needs. Therefore, certain guidelines must be issued to the authorities concerned, so that they can successfully implement the insurance scheme.”, the Court reconsidered.
Cause Title- Dr. Karthick v. Union of India & Ors.
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