- The Jana Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA) Working Group on Access to Medicines and Treatment has demanded the imposition of strict ceilings on hospital charges in private healthcare institutions. - The group emphasized the urgent need for tighter government regulation on medicine prices and trade margins to curb excessive profiteering. - It highlighted how high out-of-pocket expenditure on healthcare and medicines pushes vulnerable populations into poverty, necessitating systemic reforms. - Recommendations include expanding the scope of price-capped essential medicines and ensuring transparent billing practices across all healthcare facilities. - **Jana Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA):** A national network of independent public health advocates, grassroots organizations, and researchers campaigning for universal healthcare, the Right to Health, and equity in India's medical system. - **Drug Price Control Order (DPCO):** Regulatory orders issued under the Essential Commodities Act to cap and monitor the prices of essential medicines and formulations, enforced by the NPPA. - **Clinical Establishments Act:** Central legislation enacted in 2010 to mandate registration and set minimum infrastructure and service standards across all public and private clinical establishments in India. **Introduction** The Jana Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA) Working Group on Access to Medicines and Treatment has strongly advocated for capping hospital charges in private healthcare and implementing rigorous regulations on medicine prices. Highlighting the heavy burden of out-of-pocket expenditure on ordinary citizens, the group called for enhanced state intervention, better price controls on pharmaceuticals, and transparent billing systems to make healthcare accessible and affordable. **Core Issue and Detailed Points** - The Jana Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA) Working Group on Access to Medicines and Treatment has demanded the imposition of strict ceilings on hospital charges in private healthcare institutions. - The group emphasized the urgent need for tighter government regulation on medicine prices and trade margins to curb excessive profiteering. - It highlighted how high out-of-pocket expenditure on healthcare and medicines pushes vulnerable populations into poverty, necessitating systemic reforms. - Recommendations include expanding the scope of price-capped essential medicines and ensuring transparent billing practices across all healthcare facilities. **Key Statutory Bodies, Acts & Concepts** - **Jana Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA):** A national network of independent public health advocates, grassroots organizations, and researchers campaigning for universal healthcare, the Right to Health, and equity in India's medical system. - **Drug Price Control Order (DPCO):** Regulatory orders issued under the Essential Commodities Act to cap and monitor the prices of essential medicines and formulations, enforced by the NPPA. - **Clinical Establishments Act:** Central legislation enacted in 2010 to mandate registration and set minimum infrastructure and service standards across all public and private clinical establishments in India.