Medical Infrastructure In Delhi Inadequate, Demand Far In Excess Of Supply: High Court Seeks Delhi Govt's Status Report

The Delhi High Court has recently observed that the medical infrastructure in the national capital is inadequate and the number of hospital beds are insufficient.

“The demand is far in excess of the supply,” a division bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Mini Pushkarna said in an order passed on December 13.

The court directed the Delhi Government to file a status report indicating as to how it plans to ensure that the medical infrastructure keeps pace with the city's population.

The bench was dealing with a suo motu PIL initiated in 2017 concerning the issue of availability of ICU beds and ventilator facility in the government hospitals here.

Amicus Curiae, Advocate Ashok Aggarwal, handed over a newspaper report titled “Turned Away by three hospitals fourteen-year-old cancer patient dies” published by Hindustan Times on December 07.

The report was in reference to a 14-year-old girl who succumbed to blood cancer at AIIMS on December 05. As per the report, the minor's family alleged that three government hospitals in Delhi refused treatment citing lack of medicines, beds or equipment.

“Upon a reading of this report, it is apparent that medical infrastructure in the city of Delhi is inadequate and the number of hospital beds are insufficient. The demand is far in excess of the supply. The said report is taken on record,” the court observed.

The matter will now be heard on January 29, 2024.

Earlier, the court had directed the hospitals managed by the Central Government to operate a Control Room for providing information about availability of beds with ventilator facilities, by notifying the phone numbers of Control Room through public notice in the print media and web portal.

Title: COURT ON ITS OWN MOTION v. UNION OF INDIA AND ORS.

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