Delhi HC laments denial of treatment by two hospitals to 12-yr-old boy

A bench of justice Subramonium Prasad sought Delhi government’s response in minor’s plea seeking directions to the government to reimburse the medical expenses

The Delhi high court on Friday expressed its displeasure over denial of treatment to a 12-year-old boy by two Delhi government hospitals due to unavailability of cotton swabs and doctors, lamenting that the incident was serious and shocking.

The judge further directed the government to file a status report. (Representative file photo)

A bench of justice Subramonium Prasad sought Delhi government’s response in minor’s plea seeking directions to the government to reimburse the medical expenses.

The judge further directed the government to file a status report indicating the condition of the hospitals under it within ten days.

“It is something very very serious and shocking,” the bench remarked.

The court expressed dismay days after a coordinate bench had directed the Delhi government to adopt measures to hire doctors and procure equipment for hospitals in Delhi in accordance with the report filed by a committee of experts to assess the medical infrastructure of the hospitals in the capital, within a month.

The court on April 16 had directed the government to implement the measures such as --- filling at least 15% staff vacancies, meeting 15% manpower and equipment requirements in Delhi government hospitals saying that the same were not political in nature and its implementation would go a long way in saving human lives.

In the plea filed through advocates Ashok Agarwal and Kumar Utkarsh, the minor had asserted that due to denial of treatment by two Delhi government hospitals – Dr Hedgewar Aarogya Sansthan and Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya, his father was forced to take him to a private hospital and incur expenses of ₹12,000. Such denial, the plea stated, was violative of the fundamental right to health.

“The impugned actions/inaction on part of the hospitals of respondent Government NCT of Delhi has miserably failed to perform the constitutional obligation to provide to its citizen free and quality health care,” the plea read.