KOCHI: The Kerala high court on Wednesday sought the state government’s views on making free post-Covid treatment available for those above poverty line but falling under low-income group.
A division bench comprising justices Devan Ramachandran and Kauser Edappagath asked to inform what is preventing the government from providing free treatment for post-Covid complications when it considers deaths of persons within 30 days of becoming Covid-negative as Covid deaths. The court said the government’s order not providing free post-Covid treatment even to those below poverty line cannot be justified.
Further, the court said a common citizen won’t be able to bear the expenses for post-Covid treatment and that all those above poverty line are not millionaires.
During the hearing, government informed the court that the rate fixed at government hospitals for post-Covid treatment is Rs750 per day and that people above the poverty line but having an annual income of less than Rs3 lakhs are also eligible for free treatment. The court asked what can be done in the case of those earning a bit above the Rs3 lakh cutoff as they are also suffering. If a person having an income of Rs25,000 (or annual income of Rs3 lakhs) has to pay Rs750 per day at the hospital, he would have nothing left, the court pointed out while suggesting that the government should reconsider the criterion.
