Supreme Court stays Kerala High Court order on hospitals to display services, rates at reception

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the Kerala High Court's order that issued guidelines, including directions to clinical establishments to prominently display a list of the services offered.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta suspended the operation of November 26 judgment, on a plea filed by Kerala Private Hospitals Association and others.

The HC's division bench had then dismissed the appeals against an order of a single-judge bench that rejected a plea challenging various provisions of the Kerala Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2018.

While issuing notices on the appeal to the Kerala government and others, the court sought their replies and directed the authorities concerned not to take any coercive steps against the members of the association till the next date of hearing, February 3.

Meanwhile, hearing the appeal, the court allowed the petitioners to implead the Centre as a party in the matter, and it asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to assist it in the case.