Hyderabad:A dispute over Apollo Hospitals collecting a `200 registration fee, over and above the doctor’s consultation charges, travelled through the district, state and national consumer forums and even reached the Supreme Court before returning to the Telangana High Court, where a judge’s intervention finally brought the nearly nine-year-old litigation to an end on Thursday.
The dispute, which originated in 2017, saw Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy step in to persuade the petitioner to call off the prolonged legal battle, questioning the wisdom of spending nearly nine years fighting over Rs 200. Through pointed questions and an appeal to both parties to take a practical approach, the judge managed to bring the matter to a close, with the petitioner agreeing to withdraw the writ petition.
A division bench comprising Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy and Justice Vakiti Ramakrishna Reddy was hearing the petition filed by Shankar Saran, a resident of Visakhapatnam, challenging Apollo Hospital’s practice of collecting Rs 200 as registration fee from outpatients. His contention was that collecting the registration fee was illegal, without providing any service to the patients. Challenging the practice, he filed a complaint before the District Consumer Forum in 2018, which escalated to State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and later National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC).
The NCDRC was not inclined to issue any adverse orders against the Apollo Hospitals, as there was no deficiency in services. Challenging the decision, Saran approached the Supreme Court, which asked the petitioner to first exhaust the remedy from the High Court. If aggrieved with its orders, he had liberty to approach the Supreme Court.
Following the apex court`s directions, Saran filed a petition before the Telangana High Court in July 2026 which heard the matter several times. On Thursday, the case came for hearing before the bench comprising Justice Vijaysen Reddy and Justice Ramakrishna Reddy, which expressed surprise that a dispute over such a small amount had travelled up to the Supreme Court over more than eight years.
During the hearing, the petitioner submitted that he had visited the hospital when his blood pressure was fluctuating, but the doctor, after examination, found it normal at 120/80. The court asked why he had objected to the `200 registration charge when he had no objection to paying `500 as consultation fee.
Explaining the purpose of the registration fee, Sai Varun Kumar, counsel for Apollo Hospitals, submitted that the hospital maintained patient records containing medical details, previous test reports and health history, which helped doctors assess their condition during subsequent visits. However, D. Satyanarayan, counsel for the petitioner, argued that the collection of the fee was illegal and was not backed by any rule or provision.
Intervening, Justice Vijaysen Reddy enquired about the legal expenses incurred by both sides and admonished them for allowing a trivial monetary dispute to consume considerable time, money and judicial resources. The bench observed that an insistence on winning every small dispute could cause unnecessary financial strain and adversely affect one’s health, apart from adding to the mounting pendency of cases.
The bench also remarked that the hospital could have avoided the prolonged litigation by simply refunding the disputed amount. The court suggested that if the petitioner intended to challenge registration fee practices followed by hospitals across the state, the appropriate course would be to pursue the issue through a public interest litigation. Following the court’s observations and intervention, the petitioner expressed his willingness to withdraw the petition, which the bench permitted, bringing the nine-year-old dispute to an end.
Telangana HC Registers Suo Motu PIL To Examine Safety, Infra, staff availability in Govt Hospitals
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has registered a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) to examine safety standards, infrastructure deficiencies and shortage of essential staff in government hospitals across the state following two incidents involving the death of infants at RIMS, Adilabad, and injuries to patients in a ceiling collapse at the MGM Hospital in Warangal.
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice P. Sam Koshy and Justice Suddala Chalapathi Rao examined the matter and adjourned it to November 16. The court took cognisance of the matters, following the Chief Justice of India Surya Kant forwarding a representation submitted by Hyderabad-based advocate Nallapu Manideep for consideration as a PIL. The registry registered the matter as a taken-up PIL following an order passed by the Acting Chief Justice on October 13.
In his representation dated September 23, Manideep urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of the incidents, contending that the safety of patients in government hospitals was an integral part of the fundamental right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The representation referred to the September 21 fire in the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) at RIMS, Adilabad, in which three newborn infants were reportedly killed, while other babies had to be evacuated. It also highlighted the September 20 ceiling collapse in the Aarogyasri ward of MGM Hospital, Warangal, in which a patient undergoing treatment for paralysis and two attendants sustained injuries. Further portions of the ceiling reportedly fell in other departments subsequently.
Relying on the Supreme Court’s judgment in Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity vs State of West Bengal (1996), the representation emphasised the State’s constitutional obligation to provide adequate medical facilities and protect human life.
HC Directs State To Submit Report on Drought-like Conditions In TG, Measures Taken to Mitigate Impact
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Thursday directed the state government to submit a detailed report on the drought-like conditions prevailing across the state, and the measures being taken to mitigate their impact, including the availability of drinking water and relief to affected farmers and other vulnerable sections.
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice P. Sam Koshy and Justice Suddala Chalapathi Rao issued the directions while hearing a pending public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Dr Cheruku Sudhakar in 2020. The bench adjourned the matter to December 9, after special government counsel Pottigari Sridhar Reddy, appearing for the state, sought time to file a counter-affidavit to an interlocutory application (IA No. 1 of 2026).
In his latest application, petitioner Sudhakar sought a time-bound, scientific and district-wise assessment of drought and drought-like conditions, covering drinking water availability and the impact on agriculture, livestock, wildlife, public health and vulnerable sections of the population. He also sought directions to the authorities to place before the court the state and district disaster management plans, drought contingency plans, standard operating procedures, assessment reports and action-taken reports prepared under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
The petitioner sought immediate measures to ensure the supply of safe drinking water, food and essential commodities, besides necessary assistance to affected farmers, agricultural labourers, livestock owners and other vulnerable groups. He also urged the government to consider appointing district-level special or nodal officers to supervise relief operations, conduct field inspections and submit periodic compliance reports.
The PIL was originally filed in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, seeking directions to the state government to implement the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and applicable rules to safeguard public welfare and prevent inconvenience to people during the pandemic.
The PIL was pending since then, and the petitioner filed several interlocutory applications seeking intervention by the authorities during periods of incessant rain and other adverse conditions. The latest application brought the prevailing drought-like situation before the court and sought a comprehensive and coordinated response from the government.
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