Covid Bed Facility In Indira Gandhi Hospital: Delhi High Court Directs Monitoring Of Project On Weekly Basis, Disciplinary Action For Lapse

The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the Principal Secretary of Health of the Delhi Government to personally monitor the progress of the project of making 250 covid bed Facility on Indira Gandhi Hospital on a weekly basis.

A division bench comprising of Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Jasmeet Singh also directed the aforesaid official to state reasons in the event of breach and the particulars of the persons involved in breach and also directed that appropriate disciplinary action must be there for those guilty of any lapse or negligence.

"We direct the Principal Secretary Health and Family Welfare to personally monitor the progress of project on a weekly basis and ensure the timelines and if there is any breach, the reasons therefore as well as the person responsible for the breach." The Court ordered.

The development came after Senior Advocate Rahul Mehra appearing for GNCTD apprised the Court about the timeline as to when the facility will be functional.

Mehra informed the Court that by the end of June, there will be 65 beds once OPD is operative in the hospital. However, as an interim measure there will be around 200 beds till then.

"We have at our end tried to streamlined it from an year to three months. We've given this as a responsible government. We'll try all endeavours to achieve the timeline." Mehra submitted.

Aggreived by the submissions, Advocate YS Singh submitted thus:

"They are not coming out with clean hands. Why they haven't finalized this hospital in time? Why are they only submitting for Covid? What about other OPDs?"

At this juncture, Justice Singh asked Mehra as to the details about ICU beds with ventilator facilities in the hospital. He remarked thus:

"There must be corresponding increase with ICU beds. If we're talking about third wave, this will have to be seen."

In view of this, the Court ordered thus:

"The focus at this stage is to provide focus beds including ICU and icu with ventilators. The affidavit doesn't speak about the specialities with which the said hospital would be dealing with. Mr. Mehra states that affidavit will be filed in this regard. Let the same be filed within 3 days."

During the previous course of hearing, the bench ordered the government to, give it a timeline as to when the facility will be functional, which the government would bind itself to and non-adherence to which would give rise to consequences.

The bench also proceeded to direct the state to file a detailed affidavit with deposed timeline of completion of the hospital, and state, if it's been breached, then for what reason, and the new timeline for its completion.