After almost two decades of legal battle, the Indraprastha Apollo Multi Specialty Hospital has offered 10 per cent beds to the Delhi government for patients of the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) instead of the 33 per cent it had agreed upon at the time of getting possession of the prime land on Re 1 lease in Sarita Vihar.
Interestingly, in the original ‘expression of interest’ in 1986, the applicant was required to provide free medical facilities on one third of beds and 40 per cent OPD without any discrimination.
“We are ready to provide 10 per cent free beds with medicines and consumables instead of 33 per cent beds for the poor,” said Beena Bhasin, appearing for Apollo Hospital.
The offer was made to as many as 48 other hospitals that received concessional lands and were supposed to provide 10 per cent free beds to the poor in the national Capital.
Justice Madan B Lokur of the Supreme Court asked both the parties — the Delhi government and Apollo to sit down and resolve the matter while adjourning it for four weeks. “You are fighting and the poor are suffering.
Why don’t you resolve the issue?” asked Justice Madan B Lokur. If any agreement is finalised between the Delhi government and Apollo, the hospital will have to reserve around 79 beds for EWS patients and not 239 beds as claimed by the former.
Senior advocate Ashok Agarwal who has brought both the partners to the court through a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in Delhi high court in 1997, alleged connivance of both — Delhi government and Apollo; to keep the poor out of the hospital.
“I fear 30 years of lease period would expire without implementation of the condition of free treatment to the poor,” said Agarwal.
The 15 acre land on which the Apollo Hospital is situated has a minimum value of Rs 645.9 crore as per circle rate that was provided by the Delhi government on lease rent of Re 1 per month in 1994.
Besides, the government had also provided Rs 23.83 crore as its contribution to 26 per cent equity to construct the hospital and Rs 14.83 crore as compensation for delayed delivery of land for the hospital to be run on PPP model on a “no profit no loss basis”.
Delhi’s Health Secretary and some senior officers are in the management board of the hospital also.
In an RTI reply, the Delhi government revealed that it has 26 per cent share in the hospital and gets dividends every year.
“We received Rs 4.29 crore dividends in 2014-15 and Rs 15 crore since 2011-15,” said the Directorate of Health Services in an RTI reply.