The Delhi government has told the Supreme Court that Indraprastha Apollo Hospital drastically failed to meet its obligation of providing free treatment to patients from economically weaker sections (EWS), catering to only 9โ10% outpatients and 7โ9% inpatients over the past five years โ far below the required quota under its lease agreement.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi took on record an affidavit filed by Vatsala Aggarwal, Director General at the Directorate of Health Services, and directed Apollo Hospital, run by Indraprastha Medical Corporation Limited (IMCL), to respond. The matter will be heard again in the second week of December.
In its affidavit, the Delhi government stated that Apollo Hospital was bound to treat 40% of its outpatients and 33% of its inpatients from EWS categories free of cost. However, the scrutiny of records revealed that the hospital had attended to only a fraction of this obligation.
The expert committee, constituted following the Supreme Courtโs order of March 25, visited the hospital multiple times between May and June 2025. It reported that EWS patients were not receiving entirely free treatment, as they were charged for medicines, consumables, and diagnostics โ either at actual cost or partly (20% of consumables in diagnostics).
The government informed the bench that the hospitalโs land lease, granted on a nominal rent of โน1, expired on July 31, 2023, and has not been renewed. IMCL has sought a renewal for 30 years, but the Delhi government said it would review the proposal only after evaluating compliance with EWS obligations and the findings of the Aggarwal Committee.
The affidavit added that the Union Health Ministry has clarified the issue lies outside its purview and asked the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), and the Delhi government to take appropriate action.
The case stems from a 2009 Delhi High Court judgment that found Apollo Hospital had โflouted the lease agreement condition to provide free treatment to indoor and outdoor poor patients with impunity.โ The court had directed the hospital to reserve one-third of its beds (around 200) for free treatment of poor inpatients and ensure free medical facilities for 40% of outpatients.
The Supreme Court, in its March 25 order, had warned that if the hospital continued to deny free treatment to the poor, it would consider asking AIIMS to take over the facility. The court also noted that the hospital โ built on 15 acres of prime land given at a symbolic lease โ was meant to operate on a โno profit, no lossโ basis but had instead become a commercial venture.
The next hearing is expected in December, when Apollo Hospitalโs response will be examined.
