'Everyone's doing their work at this time', SC refuses to direct Nationalization of Healthcare in wake of Corona Pandemic

On Monday, Supreme Court has denied issuing directions for Nationalization of Country's Healthcare Sector in the wake of COVID-19 Pandemic.

The Court said:

"We cannot order nationalisation of hospitals. Government has already taken over some hospitals."

The petitioner in his plea filed sought a direction from the Supreme Court to nationalize all facilities, institutes, companies and entities related to the healthcare sector in India till the Coronavirus Pandemic is contained.

It was further pleaded in the petition that the Court issue direction to ensure that tests, procedures, and treatments in relation to the COVID-19 are made free of cost for all citizens till the pandemic gets curbed.

Justice Bhushan called on the plea for Nationalization of Healthcare as "Misconceived".

He however noted that the other plea for free testing for Coronavirus is tagged with another petition.

He quoted saying:

The Top Court, last week had directed free of cost testing of COVID-19 by both Govt and Pvt labs.

The contention of the petitioner was that there is a significient difference in the cost of treatment incurred at Govt and Pvt Hospitals.

It was stated that the more patients tend to choose private hospitals over government hospitals.

The petitioner has also highlighted that reports indicating India’s unpreparedness to deal with the crisis were not correct. It was reasoned that in the last two to three decades itself India has emerged as a hub of Medical Tourism and today India accounts for 18% of the global market share of it.

It was further put up that since India has been following WHO Global Models to fight the outbreak of this pandemic, including imposing a nationwide lockdown to adapt to social distancing measures, the plea for having all health facilities nationalized or offered free of cost during the COVID-19 pandemic is thus justified. 

The petition has the example of other countries having done the same being made a ground as well.