Covid Bed Facility At Indira Gandhi Hospital: Delhi HC Directs Delhi Govt To File Status Report Disclosing Completion Of Tasks

The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the Delhi Government to file a status report disclosing the completion of tasks in relation to the project of making 250 covid bed Facility at Indira Gandhi Hospital.

While adjourning the matter to November 9, a division bench comprising of Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Jasmeet Singh perused the status report filed by the Delhi Government indicating timelines for meeting the deadlines in establishment of super specialities in the said hospital.

"The respondent shall file a further status report before the next date of hearing. The status report shall disclose the tasks completed in terms of status report on record." The Court said.

Senior Advocate Rahul Mehra appearing on behalf of the Delhi Government apprised the Court that a total of 10 super specialities will be established in the hospital in which 7 will be established prior to the other 3. He also submitted that meetings were conducted by the Government at highest levels to expedite the said project.

"Meetings were held at highest level. If your lordship wants, we can ask some officer to be here. The understanding is that it has to come subsequently and we have to see how things develop from here." Mehra submitted.

On the creation of posts and vacancies in the attached medical college and in relation to super speciality doctors, Mehra submitted that posts will be created in the next three months.

"We're going to ensure that not only for Covid but general posts are also created." Mehra submitted.

"The posts of general duty medical officers and non-teaching specialists are required to be filled up through UPSC, which normally takes one year. Efforts will be made to fill the posts on regular basis by October 22, pending which the posts can be filled on contractual basis by October 2022 for regular hospital services," the written reply filed by the Delhi Government reads.

On this, Justice Sanghi remarked thus:

"It shouldn't be that such a project, when the deadlines are already gone, when you've already sanctioned a lot of money, People in Delhi need these facilities not only for Covid but even otherwise also. We want that this should be done efficiently and it must be completed."

The development came after the Court had last month directed the Delhi Government to file a 'better affidavit' within two weeks, indicating the timeline within which Phase-I and Phase-II super speciality facilities will be set up in the Hospital.

The Court had also observed that the availability of super speciality facilities are necessary even for a person undergoing Covid-19 treatment.

Earlier, the Court had directed the Principal Secretary of Health of the Delhi Government to personally monitor the progress of the project on a weekly basis and also to said that appropriate disciplinary action must be there for those guilty of any lapse or negligence.

It had also 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.

Title: DWARKA COURT BAR ASSOCIATION v. STATE (NCT OF DELHI) & ORS.