Delhi High Court Orders Implementation Of Immediate Measures To Optimize Existing Medical Resources In Govt Hospitals

The Delhi High Court has directed the Secretary and Principal Health Secretary of the Delhi Government to implement immediate measures for optimization of existing resources in various government hospitals in the national capital within 30 days as recommended by a six-member expert committee.

A division bench comprising of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora directed the two officials to indicate a road map as to how they intend to implement the intermediate and long term measures within the timeline stipulated by the court appointed Expert Committee.

The court directed that an action taken cum status report be filed by the Principal Health Secretary within four weeks.

“As the immediate recommendations of the Dr.S.K.Sarin Committee of doctors shall go a long way in saving human lives and are not political in nature, this Court directs that the Model Code of Conduct shall not be a hindrance,” the court said.

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

The committee was constituted in February to give recommendations and suggestions for ramping up medical infrastructure and optimization of existing resources in various hospitals in here, either owned by the Delhi Government or the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

Earlier, the court had directed the Delhi Government to disclose the amount it has been spending on augmenting the health sector in the last five years. It had also asked the city 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 had expressed concern over the lack of medical infrastructure to treat critical care patients and asked the Delhi Government why the infrastructure is not keeping pace with the demand.

It had also directed the Delhi Government to explore the feasibility of setting up a central portal indicating on a real-time basis the number and nature of beds available in all hospitals in the city.

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

Citation: 2024 LiveLaw (Del) 468

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