Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s recent announcement that only Delhiites would be given treatment in the hospitals run by the state government and private hospitals in the national capital had caused much concern. Thankfully the lieutenant governor of Delhi subsequently rejected the harebrained idea and restored status quo.

 Kejriwal, who evidently had his voters in mind when he made that announcement, had expressed worry that there were not enough beds in the national capital and that “outsiders” would put more pressure on the facilities. His action raised several important questions.

New Delhi is the national capital and every citizen of the country has equal rights over its facilities. It is obvious they being the seat of power it has the best of facilities and infrastructure. Like Mumbai and other metros it also attracts the best of professionals. How can the country deprive citizens from accessing these facilities.

The national capital can hardly boast of “original residents” as a vast majority of its residents belong to other states of the country. How can holding a proof of residence entitle anyone or debar someone else from using facilities. It is a dangerous trend.

What would happen, for instance, if Chandigarh allows only its residents to avail facilities in the UT or Mumbai refuses treatment for others at the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital and other such facilities.

Moreover such an order could have led to a conflict with media ethics. Could a hospital or doctor refuse a patient needing treatment?

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While making that unfortunate announcement, Kejriwal also sharply criticised private hospitals and warned them with strict action. He gave out an impression that all private hospitals were out to fleece the people and make money. He ordered an FIR against one of the respected not-for-profit hospitals, Sir Gangaram Memorial Hospital which is run by a Trust, and threatened to suspend licences of some others.

While there is no doubt that some private hospitals had built up a reputation for fleecing patients, it is not right to brand all such hospitals as villains.

One of the Aam Aadmi Party spokespersons even questioned the private hospitals and labs for charging Rs 4500 for Covid tests. The fact is that the amount was fixed by none other than government of India after calculating the minimum expenditure on such tests.

It would be too much to expect private hospitals to take up all the burden but it should also not be the time to make money. These hospitals should be ready to provide concession to those who can’t afford normal charges and can’t get tested or get admission in government owned hospitals.

The entire point is that this is the time for all institutions, public as well as private, to work together rather than the take a confrontation. It’s path as Kejriwal had sought to do.

India remains far behind in testing even though the world health organisation had been calling for “testing, testing, testing”. It is also among the top half a dozen countries where the number of those afflicted with coronavirus is growing at fast pace.

The third wave of growth is already on and the country is witnessing a growth of 10,000 positive cases every day. The projections are much worse.

It is good to call the doctors and medical staff “Corona warriors” and be grateful to them for putting their lives at risk but such sentiments should not be limited to showering flowers on them by our armed forces.

The central government as well as the state governments must not look at all private facilities with suspicion. This does not mean that those found guilty should be spared but a positive and cooperative attitude is the need of the hour.

It is a time of national crisis during which petty politics and narrow vested interests must take a back seat. After the abrupt lockdown without consultations with states, the Narendra Modi government had done well to take state governments into confidence and also to hear views of the states.

Of late, however, the tendency has been to score political points. This is partly due to the coming high stake elections in Bihar and West Bengal. The country is certainly not out of the woods yet and it is better for the Central government to take everyone along.