The Aam Aadmi Party government has asked five private hospitals in the Capital to deposit Rs 700 crore as fine for refusing to treat the poor, reported NDTV. The hospitals include Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, Max Super Speciality Hospital (Saket), Shanti Mukand Hospital, Dharamshila Cancer Hospital and Pushpawati Singhania Research Institute.

The government had given land to 43 private hospitals at concessional rates on the condition that they would treat the poor for free. However, an investigation conducted by the television news channel revealed that many of those hospitals are not keeping their part of the bargain as they routinely refuse poor patients for profit.

Acting on a PIL, the Delhi High Court had asked the Arvind Kejriwal government to set up a probe panel to look into the matter. "The recovery amount has been calculated from the date when the hospital became operational to March 22, 2007, when the high court passed final orders on a PIL demanding implementation of the provision of free treatment to poor and action against the erring hospitals," Ashok Agarwal, a member of the committee, told the English news channel. The panel has suggested that the money be used on government hospitals in the city.

"The impugned order is legally flawed and untenable. The management will challenge it in the high court," Fortis said. "We believe the order is unfair to us, we stand fully committed in discharging all our obligations towards economically weaker sections,"read a statement. The government may take further action against other private hospitals.