High Court Takes Suo Moto Cognizance Of Dysfunctional Oxygen Plants At Bilaspur District Hospital

The Chhattisgarh High Court has registered a suo-moto case over a news item that reported about the closure of Oxygen Plants, statedly built at the cost of crores of Rupees during the COVID-19 pandemic in the District Hospital, Bilaspur.

The news item goes on to state that the Oxygen Plants were rendered inoperative as the operation of the plant would have deprived the officers and employees of the commission they would be getting when the oxygen cylinders were purchased from outside. It added that no effort was made by the authorities to resume the operation of the oxygen plants even after holding inspections on several occasions.

“During the covid pandemic period, three Oxygen plants were installed in the District Hospital but no employees have been deployed for its upkeep and maintenance and furthermore, it is being operated by untrained employees and computer operators because of which two Oxygen Plants have stopped working. At present, oxygen supply is being made from the oxygen cylinders which are brought from outside. Despite various authorities inspecting the Hospital, no heed is being paid for restarting the closed Oxygen plants.”, the news item said.

The court also expressed concern over another news item relating to Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Memorial Hospital, Raipur.

The news report states that on Sunday, the OPD remains closed and for emergency situations, Doctors are doing their duties only on calls. The Hospital is made to run with the help of Medical Staff only. Whenever there is a holiday, the health centers are left in emergency mode and no medicine is available for the outpatients even for minor diseases. In the District Hospital, there were locks in the OPD rooms. The patients are made to suffer on account of such conduct, it is alleged.

Expressing concern on both the news, the bench comprising Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Bibhu Datta Guru directed the Additional Chief Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Department, Chhattisgarh Government to file his affidavit in this regard.

A short time was also granted to the Advocate General to seek instructions on the matter.

Case Title: In the matter of Suo Moto Public Interest Litigation versus State of Chhattisgarh & Others, WPPIL No. 76 of 2024

Click here to read/download the order