2 hospitals booked for turning away patients despite available beds

While the Delhi government did not reveal the names of the hospitals, police said they have registered a case against the Mata Chanan Devi Hospital in west Delhi and Hakeem Abdul Hameed Centenary Hospital in south Delhi.

Acting on complaints by the state government, Delhi police on Sunday booked two hospitals for allegedly denying admission to Covid patients despite showing availability of beds on the Delhi Corona app.

Representational: The hospitals put out information about availability of Covid-19 beds, but later denied patients saying no beds were available, as per the government's statement. (Ajay Aggarwal / HT Photo)

While the Delhi government did not reveal the names of the hospitals, police said they have registered a case against the Mata Chanan Devi Hospital in west Delhi and Hakeem Abdul Hameed Centenary Hospital in south Delhi.

Prashant Priya Gautam, additional deputy commissioner of police (west), said a case under IPC sections of cheating and disobedience to an order passed by a government servant, and relevant sections of Delhi Disaster Management Act was registered against Mata Chanan Devi hospital on the complaint of district authorities.

A statement released by the government said, “These hospitals put out information saying that they have Covid-19 beds, but later denied patients saying no beds were available... After Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s directions that stern action be taken against hospitals putting out wrong information about availability of beds, the Delhi government has sought legal action against two hospitals.”

Gautam said a police team visited Mata Chanan Devi hospital after a complaint from the Delhi government. “At the hospital, the team inquired from the emergency ward and at the help desk about beds for Covid patients, but were told there weren’t any available. However, when we checked the Delhi Corona portal, it showed 93 beds were available,” said Gautam.

When HT contacted the hospital over phone, a doctor attributed the miscommunication to a technical glitch.

At Hakeem Abdul Hameed Centenary Hospital, police sent in a decoy to verify the complaint. “The hospital said there was no bed available but the Delhi Corona app showed 239 free beds,” said DCP Thakur. The hospital couldn’t be reached for comment.