The High Court of Telangana on Thursday asked the Central Government and the State Government to apprise the Court whether they have any existing policy or scheme to cover the medical treatment of the person infected with COVID19 Coronavirus, who doesn’t have any insurance policy.
Court was hearing the petition filed by P. Tirumala Rao, Advocate, seeking directions to the Union Government as well as State Government to undertake full responsibility of providing citizens, the treatment for COVID-19 Corona Virus, free of cost at private medical laboratories and private medical establishments.
The Court had already issued notice in the case. On Thursday, the learned Advocate General, as well as the Assistant Solicitor General informed the Court about the orders passed by the Apex Court in case of Shashank Deo Sudhi V Union of India wherein Court has already directed that the tests related to COVID-19 whether in approved laboratories or approved private laboratories shall be free of cost. The Apex Court has further directed that the Central Government shall issue necessary directions in this regard immediately. Therefore, the prayer made by petitioner Mr Tirumala Rao, has already been granted by the Apex Court, they said.
On which the petitioner Mr. Tirumala Rao made the contentions that the order of Supreme court covers the diagnostic part but the issue with regard to treatment of the patient in private hospital establishments still exists. According to him, the IRDAI has already issued a circular directing the Insurance Companies to treat COVID-I9 as ‘a disease’ to be covered under the medical insurance polices. Therefore, the segment of population, which already has medical insurance policies, would be covered by the Insurance Companies. However, the issue with regard to the treatment of those persons who do not have the benefit of such medical insurance policies, would continue to exist.
Accordingly, the bench headed by the Chief Justice Sri Raghvendra Singh Chauhan & Justice T Amarnath Goud directed both the Advocate General, as well as the Assistant Solicitor General, to inform the Court whether the treatment of those persons who are not covered by medical insurance policies, whether bills of their treatment would be covered by any schemes floated by the Central, or the State Government, or not? If they are covered by such Central, or State Government schemes, the particular scheme under which they would be covered should be informed to the Court.
The matter would now be heard on April 17, 2020.
-India Legal Bureau