By Our Staff Reporter
New Delhi, 4 Dec: BJP National Co-Treasurer and Rajya Sabha MP from Uttarakhand, Naresh Bansal today raised the pressing issue of expensive private healthcare in Parliament, emphasising its impact on common citizens.
During a Special Mention in the House, Bansal pointed out that private medical treatment is becoming unaffordable for many due to the absence of government-regulated pricing for private hospitals and doctors, unlike the fixed rates under the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) and other government frameworks.
He also pointed out glaring disparities in treatment costs across private hospitals in the country. He stated that arbitrary pricing leads to exorbitant bills which further burdens patients financially. Bansal criticised the lack of a standardised policy to regulate private healthcare costs, which he described as one of the root causes of financial distress among patients.
Bansal commended the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for introducing schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and Ayushman Bharat Yojana, which provide treatment coverage up to Rs 5 lakhs for the underprivileged in, both, government and private hospitals. He also acknowledged the availability of affordable medicines through Jan Aushadhi Kendras, while noting that, in Uttarakhand, this facility is extended to all citizens under the “double-engine government”.
Addressing the House, Bansal questioned why the government has not yet implemented fixed treatment rates for private hospitals, similar to the agreements Medical Insurance companies have with hospitals for policyholders or at the lower rates set by CGHS. He urged the government to introduce standardised pricing for various treatments and procedures in private hospitals to ensure affordable healthcare for all the citizens.
