New Delhi, 5 top private hospitals in the capital have an order by the Delhi government to deposit unwarranted profits of more than Rs. 700 crore made by denying treatment to the poor. The hospitals said its "unfair and they shall appeal in court".

A total of 43 private hospitals in the capital were given land at concessional rates on condition that they would treat the poor for free.

At that time, the hospitals set 10 per cent of IPD and 25 per cent of OPD services free of cost for the poor.

Ashok Agarwal, member of the monitoring committee, said, "The recovery amount has been calculated from the date when the hospital became operational to March 22, 2007, when the high court passed final orders on a PIL demanding implementation of the provision of free treatment to poor and action against the erring hospitals".

As per the reports, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, Max Super Speciality Hospital (Saket), Shanti Mukand Hospital, Dharamshila Cancer Hospital and Pushpawati Singhania Research Institute, failed to provide free treatment to the poor and made profits instead.

It has been recommended by the committee that the fine of Rs. 700 crore should be used for the development of Delhi's government hospitals.