During the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament, Rajya Sabha Member (MP) Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal raised concerns over arbitrary practices by private hospitals and the referral of patients from government hospitals operating under the National Health Mission (NHM), with support from the Central Government, to large private facilities.Through a question raised in Parliament, Seechewal sought measures to protect patients from excessive charges levied by private hospitals, regulate the amounts included in medical bills and ensure accountability among officials responsible for referring patients from government hospitals to private hospitals.Seechewal said ordinary people visit hospitals for treatment using their hard-earned money and stressed the need for complete transparency in hospital fees, diagnostic tests and other medical services. “Patients and their families should be clearly informed about how much they are being charged for each service and which tests are medically necessary for their treatment,” he said.He also called for greater transparency in the referral system at government hospitals, with clear accountability of the hospitals concerned and the officials involved. “If a patient requires specialised or advanced treatment, referral to a higher-level facility may be medically necessary. However, preventing unnecessary referrals, which cause inconvenience and impose an additional financial burden on patients and their families, is also the direct responsibility of the government,” he said.In its response in the Rajya Sabha, however, the Union Ministry of Health stated that “health” was a state subject. It said the primary responsibility for ensuring transparency in the billing practices of private hospitals, preventing overcharging and taking action on complaints rested with the respective states and union territories.The Central Government also stated that complaints against private hospitals were forwarded to the states concerned for necessary action, while no centralised data on such complaints was maintained at the national level.According to the government, under the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010, hospitals are required to prominently display the rates of their services for patients’ information. The Act is applicable in 19 states and union territories. In case of violations, district-level authorities have the power to impose penalties and even cancel the registration of the healthcare establishment concerned.Responding to the concern over unnecessary referrals from government hospitals, the Central Government stated that under the National Health Mission, efforts were being made to strengthen the referral system by improving Referral Units, High Dependency Units (HDUs) and Emergency Care Units.The government has also approved the establishment of 631 Critical Care Blocks under the Pradhan Mantri-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM). According to the government, arrangements were also in place to record a patient’s medical condition, treatment provided and the clinical reason for referral when transferring the patient to another healthcare facility.