Desist from exploiting COVID-19 situation: Madhya Pradesh High Court to IMA members

Jabalpur, Apr 10: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has asked the members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and MP Nursing Home Association to desist from "exploiting" the coronavirus situation by overcharging the affected persons in the wake of the second wave of the pandemic.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq and Justice Sanjay Dwivedi said this in its order passed on Wednesday. "In the time of the current crisis faced by the country following the second wave of COVID-19, their (associations') members should desist from exploiting the situation by overcharging the affected persons," the court said.

It directed the secretary of state public health and family welfare department to give wide publicity to the rates fixed by the government for RT-PCR test, rapid antigen test and chest CT/HRCT scan of COVID-19 suspects/patients, deputy advocate general Swapnil Ganguly said.

This is to make people aware of such rates/charges, the order said. The court also directed the state government to empanel all such private hospitals and nursing homes, who fulfil the relevant criterion prescribed by the Centre for treatment of COVID-19 suspects/patients under the Ayushman Bharat Madhya Pradesh Niramayam Yojana- he said.

"This is aimed at increasing the reach of the beneficial scheme to maximum number of eligible people in the state," Ganguly said. The court gave these directions while hearing an application filed by amicus curiae advocate Naman Nagrath that all districts in the state be directed to ensure strict compliance of the instructions issued by the state government on March 25, 2021, he said.

The court heard the application along with five other petitions, including a suo motu petition registered by the high court on the issues related to the pandemic, he said.