SHC repeats notices on plea for 25pc concession to senior citizens during treatment at private facilities

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has repeated notices to the provincial social welfare and health departments and the council of welfare of senior citizens on a petition seeking enforcement of a law providing a 25 per cent concession to the senior citizens during medical treatment at private hospitals.

The petitioner, the Legal Aid Society, had submitted in the petition that the Sindh Senior Citizens Welfare Act was promulgated in 2014 and its section 5(f) provided that the senior citizens council shall provide free geriatric, medical and health services to the senior citizens with free medicines as provided by the respective government hospital medical officer and a 25 per cent concession to them at all the private hospitals, medical centres and clinics.

A counsel for the petitioner submitted that during the current pandemic crisis, private hospitals were overcharging COVID-19 patients and it was very difficult for patients, especially the senior citizens, to bear the medical expenses at private health facilities.

He submitted that the private hospitals were exploiting senior citizens by making fortune out of their miseries and charging Rs50,000 to Rs150,000 per day for treatment at their general wards and intensive care units.

The lawyer said that due to the lack of cost regulation in the country, the private hospitals were capitalising on the plight of patients, particularly senior citizens, and making exorbitant profits.

He submitted that the SHC had on December 12 last year ordered the enforcement and implementation of the Sindh Senior Citizens Welfare Act and requested the high court to direct the provincial government to ensure the implementation of the law, especially its section5 (f), which provides 25 per cent concession to the senior citizens for their medical treatment at the private hospitals.

A counsel for private hospitals sought time to file comments on the petition. A division bench of the SHC headed by Justice Omar Sial repeated notices to the secretaries of the health and social welfare departments and the council of welfare of senior citizens and called their comments on June 29.

It is pertinent to mention here that the SHC had directed the senior citizen council to religiously and diligently perform all functions for the implementation of various provisions of the law for the betterment and well-being of the senior citizens and the first progress report within two months. The high court had also directed the Sindh government to notify the rules within 45 days in accordance with the Section 19 of the Act.