Kerala High Court Mandates No Treatment Denial For Lack of Money or Documents

The High Court has directed that hospitals should not deny treatment to patients due to a lack of money or documents. All hospitals must examine patients arriving at the emergency department and ensure their condition is stable.

Kochi: In a landmark directive, the Kerala High Court has mandated sweeping reforms to ensure equitable healthcare access and transparency across the state's hospital systems. The court's comprehensive guidelines emphasize that no patient shall be denied essential treatment on grounds of financial constraints or missing documentation—a principle grounded in the fundamental duty of all medical institutions to preserve life.

Standards for Emergency Care

The court has stipulated that all hospitals must conduct thorough clinical assessments of patients presenting at emergency departments. Medical staff are required to stabilize patient conditions and determine whether advanced care is necessary. Where such care exceeds a hospital's capabilities, the facility assumes full responsibility for arranging a safe and secure transfer to an appropriate tertiary center equipped to continue treatment.

Pricing Transparency and Patient Access

A critical component of the directives addresses billing transparency. Hospitals are now obligated to make treatment costs clearly visible at multiple points of patient interaction—specifically at reception counters and prominently on their official websites. Importantly, these rates must be displayed in both Malayalam and English to ensure accessibility across Kerala's diverse population. The court stressed that pricing structures for each treatment category must be articulated in language that both patients and their families can readily comprehend, eliminating ambiguity and enabling informed decision-making.