Government Allocates Over 3,000 Free Hospital Beds for Needy, But Most Remain Unused
Summary
The government has allocated 3,080 free hospital beds for poor, helpless and destitute citizens across the country, but only 869 are currently in use. Many hospitals are offering only bed discounts or partial concessions, leaving patients to pay for medicines, tests and surgery despite the free-treatment rule.
Key Points
- The Ministry of Health says 3,080 beds nationwide have been reserved for free treatment for poor, helpless and destitute citizens, but 2,682 remain unused.
- Hospitals are often providing only bed discounts or partial concessions instead of fully free care, despite rules requiring all treatment services to be free.
- The Free Treatment Portal procedure requires hospitals to allocate at least 10 percent of beds for the target group and maintain a support desk and daily portal updates.
- The ministry says it will enforce the rule, while private hospital umbrella group APHIN says implementation is difficult without clear criteria.
