In a major blow to the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, the Delhi High Court has directed that the issue of reservation of beds in private hospitals and nursing homes be resolved expeditiously, taking into consideration the policies framed to combat the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak.
The court was hearing a PIL filed by one Dr. Anshuman Kumar, senior cancer surgeon, who submitted before the Bench that the Delhi government order dated 24/05/2020 is not only against the D.O. dated 28/03/2020 issued by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, but is also teeming with the potential to turn 117 private hospitals into super spreaders, by way of intermingling the non-COVID-19 patients with those infected by the deadly virus.
Notably, as per principles prescribed by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in its order dated 28/03/2020, it is necessary either to declare more hospitals situated in NCR as exclusively dedicated hospitals and in case the same is not possible for any reason it would be better to reserve 20% beds of those private hospitals (only those which have separate blocks both for OPD as well as IPD care) with separate entry and exit points for the management of the COVID-19 CASES.
Dr. Anshuman Kumar, in his petition, stated that under normal circumstances, hospitals are organized to deliver patient-centric care, however, during the pandemic there is a need to turn the patient-centric approach into community focussed care.
“It is respectfully submitted that at a time when the immunity of patients admitted in the said 117 private hospitals/nursing homes is already compromised due to their ailments, the steps taken by the Delhi government to mix non-COVID-19 patients with those infected with coronavirus shall worsen the current situation as the same will add as an insult to the injury,’’ the petition stated.