The Bombay High Court observed that COVID-19 patients from poor and indigent sections cannot be expected to produce documentary proof to avail subsidised or free treatment while getting admitted to hospitals. The court on Friday was hearing a plea filed by seven residents of a slum rehabilitation building in Bandra, who had been charged Rs 12.5 lakh by K J Somaiya Hospital for COVID-19 treatment between April 11 and April 28. The bench of Justices Ramesh Dhanuka and Madhav Jamdar directed the hospital to deposit Rs 10 lakh in the court.

The petitioners had borrowed money and managed to pay Rs 10 lakh out of Rs 12.5 lakh that the hospital had demanded, after threatening to halt their discharge if they failed to clear the bill, counsel Vivek Shukla informed the court. According to the plea, the petitioners were also overcharged for PPE kits and unused services. On June 13, the court had directed the state charity commissioner to probe if the hospital had reserved 20 per cent beds for poor and indigent patients and provided free or subsidised treatment to them.