Gurgaon: Private hospitals built on land allotted by Haryana’s urban development authority are not adhering to the state’s policy of providing free or subsidised treatment to poor patients, and govt has failed to put in place an effective mechanism, the Haryana Lokayukta has observed. In an order dated Aug 24, on a complaint filed in 2016 against Rockland Hospital at IMT Manesar, Lokayukta Justice Hari Pal Verma said there was “complete laxity/inaction” on the part of HSVP, which did not even entrust the case to the state vigilance bureau.The Lokayukta observed that the matter could have been entrusted to the state vigilance bureau for alleged maladministration, but disposed of the complaint after being informed that amendments to the relevant policy were still pending. The Lokayukta also directed the competent authority to finalise the amendments to the consolidated policy —issued by HSVP in Dec 2022 — at the earliest and implement the policy “in letter and spirit”, and sought an action taken report within three months.The case was triggered by the complaint from Aseem Takyar, a city-based RTI activist, against Haryana State Industrial & Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) over Rockland Hospital in IMT Manesar. HSIIDC had allotted 20,250 square metres in Sector 5, IMT Manesar, to Rockland Hospitals in Dec 2007. Its conveyance deed, registered in Aug 2010, required the hospital to provide treatment at 30% of normal charges for 20% of its functional beds and 20% free OPD services for weaker sections. Rockland had also given an undertaking to HSIIDC in Dec 2007 agreeing to provide subsidised treatment to EWS and BPL patients.Takyar alleged that the hospital had failed to provide these benefits and that HSIIDC had not enforced the condition. A preliminary inquiry by the Lokayukta’s registrar in Dec 2020 found that Rockland was “not providing free treatment at subsidized rates to BPL and EWS patients” as required under Clause 13 of the conveyance deed. HSIIDC’s own fact-finding inquiry took a different view, saying the hospital’s position appeared justified because EWS patients were required to be referred by the CMO or specified authorities and no such patients had been referred. The Lokayukta rejected this explanation, noting that even according to HSIIDC’s report, the “so called subsidised medical services” were being provided only from 2017, after Takyar had filed his complaint in 2016. It held that HSIIDC had failed to get Clause 13 implemented and enforced.The hospital was later purchased by Medeor Hospital Ltd. In 2022, the Gurgaon health department told the Lokayukta it had not been informed about the original allotment of the land or its subsequent transfer. Officials therefore could not conduct regular visits to check compliance.The proceedings then revealed that the issue was not confined to Rockland. HSVP told the Lokayukta that it had allotted 21 hospital sites with conditions relating to treatment of poor patients: five in Gurgaon, seven in Faridabad, four in Panchkula, three in Hisar and one each in Rewari and Sonepat. HSIIDC said it had allotted another eight sites with similar conditions. The Lokayukta found that the health department, HSVP and HSIIDC had failed to evolve an effective mechanism to implement the free/subsidised treatment requirement.The order has direct relevance for the city. Records placed before the Lokayukta show that five hospital sites in the city were allotted by HSVP with conditions relating to treatment of poor patients. These include Artemis Medicare in Sector 51, Fortis Heart & Multispecialty Hospital in Sector 44, Medanta in Sector 38 and two sites allotted to the Max group in Sectors 53 and 56. The order does not, however, find these five hospitals individually in violation of the policy.HSVP’s consolidated policy in Dec 2022 covered Haryana residents with a monthly family income of up to Rs 15,000, subject to eligibility conditions. The policy provided for monitoring committees, quarterly reviews, online recording of beneficiaries and resumption of plots in case of violations. Yet in June 2026, amendments to the policy were still awaiting the health department’s concurrence. The department had suggested, among other things, that hospitals prominently display the number of beds reserved for free treatment and details of benefits available to weaker sections.For non-super-speciality hospitals, HSVP provided for free services to 20% of outdoor patients and free treatment for 10% of beds. For super-speciality hospitals, 20% of functional beds were to receive subsidised treatment. Bills up to Rs 5 lakh were to be treated free, those between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh at 10% of normal rates, and bills above Rs 10 lakh at 30%. The hospitals were also required to provide free OPD services to 20% of weaker-section patients.
