Are Online Health Apps Playing with Patients’ Safety? Delhi High Court demands an Answer
Imagine you’re sick and you need a blood test. But instead of going to the clinic, you open an Online Health app, find a 50% off deal, and book a home blood test. This is a convenient way, and it also feels like the future. But the Delhi High Court says that this convenience might be coming at a dangerous cost.
What is this issue about?
The Delhi High Court has just issued a notice to the Central Government and the Delhi Government to explain the petition that was filed by the Association of Practicing Pathologists.
The association has accused the online health service Collectors of misleading advertisements, discounts, and marketing practices often seen in Health Apps.
The case includes some of the well-known platforms named Healthians, Tata 1mg, and Practo. The court took this matter seriously and has asked all the parties, including these companies, government authorities, the GST council, and the National Medical Commission (NMC), to submit their replies before the next hearing on July 31.
Why are Pathologists Angry?
According to the petition, practicing pathologists who run independent medical laboratories are bound to strict regulations, where they are prevented from advertising or offering discounts to attract patients, as medicine is supposed to be a service, not a business.
- Posting full-page newspaper ads that regular doctors can’t run.
- They are also offering a 90% discount or full body checkups
- It’s also found that they are harassing people with sms and calls to book tests
Pathologists argue that this is unfair competition. They raised a question: “Why should an app be allowed to market itself like a pizza delivery service while a qualified doctor is banned from doing the same?” Health Apps should not overshadow traditional practitioners.
How does this Health App affect the patient?
This issue isn’t just about the business competition. The petition raises a doubt if these tests are even reliable in the world of Health Apps.
When you see an ad for a cheap test, you might book it without a doctor’s advice. The association claims that, with these online platforms, collectors are just middlemen without proper qualifications, and the accountability will be less.
- Are these samples being handled correctly?
- Is a qualified pathologist actually signing off on the report?
- Are patients being pushed into unnecessary tests just to increase business?
If the answer to these questions is “no,” then a patient could end up with the wrong decision, which is also dangerous.
Alleged Legal Violations
The lawsuit claims that these companies are ignoring multiple laws, including the National Commission Act and the Clinical Establishment Rules. They also raised a Right to Equality argument (Article 14). Health Apps need to abide by these rules.
All they want is simple; if the law restricts the doctors from advertising, it should restrict the apps too.
Additionally, the petition also raises concerns about Tax exemptions that are meant for medical services, yet these online Health Apps run their operations like commercial businesses, leading to huge revenue loss for the government.
What happens next?
All respondents have been asked to file their responses within six weeks on this issue. The court has made it clear that all the arguments remain open and no final decision has been taken yet.
With healthcare going online through Health Apps, this case will be closely watched by patients, doctors, startups, and policymakers.
