On thursday, the Kerala High Court issued order permitting the operation of a Government Order (GO) dated July 7 capping the price which can be charged as room rent by private hospitals in view of COVID-19 pandemic with respect to the price charged by private hospitals, for a period of six weeks.
The new GO must be permitted to function for a few weeks to monitor its impacts on COVID-19 treatment scenario in the state.
The stayed on previous GO of June 16, by Kerala High Court where State Government supplemented the tariff that had been fixed for private hospitals by allowing the hospitals to decide the rates lead to the recent GO.
It was submitted by the State that according to the new order, private hospitals can charge room rent to COVID patients at their discretion subject to a cap fixed by the State.
Since the petitioner still raised certain legal reservations about the new GO, thus review petition was filed.
However, the private hospitals were agreed to operate under new GO guidelines for six weeks so that grievances of the stakeholders and the public can be ascertained and addressed properly afterwards.
After agreeing to the parties the Court had set aside previous GO dated June 16 and will hear the matter next on August 26, 2021.
Lawcutor 