The honourable Supreme Court’s ruling on free service is abundantly clear: Service rendered at a government hospital / health centre / dispensary where services are rendered on payment of charges and also rendered free of charge to other persons availing such services would fall within the ambit of the expression service.
Despite this ruling, it is surprising why some doctors and hospitals who provide free service and when face a case of medical negligence, would present in their defence that since they provide free service, they cannot be held for medical negligence. Obviously, the courts do not heed to such statements as this case demonstrates.