SC seeks Unnao rape survivor's reply on security

THE Supreme Court on Tuesday granted a last opportunity to the Unnao rape survivor to respond to the Centre's plea seeking to remove the CRPF security cover given to her and others.

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi

THE Supreme Court on Tuesday said that the state governments have not fulfilled their responsibilities in ensuring affordable medical care and infrastructure to patients. The observation was made in response to a PIL against the practice of private hospitals compelling patients to buy medicines from the in-house stores. It also stressed that any mandatory direction by it may hamper the functioning of private hospitals and have a cascading effect.

The top court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Siddharth Dalmia, arguing that private hospitals were compelling patients, and their families, to buy medicines, implants, and other medical care items from in-house pharmacies that imposed exorbitant mark-ups.

A two-judge bench of Justices Justice Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh asked the Union and State governments to prepare some policies to ensure preventing the exploitation of patients and their families in private hospitals.