'Living In Primitive Times': Andhra Pradesh High Court Expresses Displeasure At Unavailability Of Satisfactory Medical Facilities For Tribal People

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has impleaded the Secretary of Panchayat Raj & Rural Development, Union of India, and Secretary of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) for better adjudication of a Public Interest Litigation filed seeking the setting up of Primary Health Centers with good infrastructure for tribals in four districts of Andhra Pradesh.

The order was passed by the Division Bench of Chief Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Raghunandan Rao in a public interest litigation filed against the Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare contending that despite making representations no action was taken by the department to provide basic medical facilities to the tribal residents of Vijaynagar, Visakhapatnam, and East & West Godavari Districts.

The counsel on behalf of the petitioner contended that the infrastructure and facilities are in such a bad condition that the ailing tribals have been using make-shift stretchers or 'dolis' to reach the hospitals.

It was further stated that on many occasions the hospitals deny or are unable to provide ambulance services to the family of the deceased tribals who passed away in the hospital, forcing the tribals to take back their deceased on motorcycles.

The Counsel for the petitioner stated that in a day and age where roads are being laid to allow citizens religious pilgrimages, the tribal residents are being denied basic access to health and medical facilities.

The Bench was also provided with photographs showcasing the pathetic infrastructure, the dolis, and even how the deceased was being carried back to the villages.

The advocate representing the State submitted that despite there having been Primary Health Care Centres established, the village location made it impossible to provide ambulance services for picking up and dropping off the sick and ailing.

The Bench questioned the advocate for the State on the facilities provided to the tribes once they came down from the hills, to where their villages were located. The Bench was displeased at how scarce the facilities had been for the tribes.

"People are passing away because of no facilities. This (the photographs) show a very primitive way of carrying a body. File your counter. We are living in primitive times," it said.

The Bench also noted that the hands of the Medicine and Health Department were tied as long as basic infrastructure like roads weren't provided for.

Accordingly, it asked for a report on the presence of medical facilities available to the tribes.

'Submit a report showing data and medical facilities. The PMGSY scheme, which aims at providing last mile connectivity, is a national scheme. How has it been implemented in the past? Who would be the appropriate authority to be impleaded?," the court asked.

WP(PIL) 22 of 2024

Counsel for petitioner: S. Pranathi

Counsel for respondent: GP for Medical Health.