Rajya Sabha MP from Delhi Swati Maliwal has triggered a nationwide debate on the rising cost of private healthcare after a speech in Parliament went viral on social media. Calling the issue one that affects “millions of Indians”, Maliwal demanded urgent reforms to protect patients from financial distress during medical emergencies.
‘Treatment first, bill later’ demand
Speaking in the House, Maliwal urged the government to legally enforce a “treatment first, bill later” principle for emergency care in private hospitals. She said patients are often pushed to the brink of selling their savings, assets, and even homes when they seek urgent treatment.
Highlighting billing practices, she noted that hospital rooms are categorised as deluxe, premium, or suite, with charges rivaling five-star hotels. “The moment hospitals realise a patient has insurance, the meter starts running,” she said, adding that even basic items such as gloves, masks and thermometers are billed at exorbitant rates.
Not doctors, but systems under question
Clarifying her stance, Maliwal said her remarks were not directed at doctors, but at exploitative systems within private healthcare. She alleged that unnecessary tests are frequently recommended and medicines sold at maximum retail price, even when cheaper generic alternatives are available outside hospitals.
She also called for transparent billing systems and stricter monitoring of repeated health insurance premium hikes, stressing that patients must be treated as human beings, not revenue sources.
Delhi yet to adopt key healthcare law
Maliwal reminded Parliament that the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, passed in 2010, empowers states to regulate and cap medical charges. However, she pointed out that only 12 states have adopted the Act so far, with Delhi still outside its ambit.
According to her, the absence of regulatory oversight has enabled unchecked billing practices in private hospitals, particularly during emergencies.
Social media echoes public pain
Clips of her speech struck a chord online, with users calling it a reflection of “a wound millions quietly endure”. Many demanded stronger audits, standardised fees, and wider public oversight, warning that illness in India increasingly comes with devastating financial shock.