Kejriwal govt’s orders to hospitals only on paper: Delhi HC

NEW DELHI: In a strong observation, the Delhi High Court on Monday said that all the orders passed by Delhi government to private and government hospitals are only on papers and none of this gets implemented on ground.

A division bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Prateek Jalan while issuing notice to the delhi government on a plea filed by advocate Krishna Kumar Sharma on a plea seeking direction to the government and private hospitals not to deny admission to asymptomatic and symptomatic Covid-19 patients. The court slated the hearing for June 25.

Incidentally, Lt Governor Anil Baijal on Monday overruled the controversial orders of the AAP government on reserving Delhi government-run and private hospitals in the national capital for Delhiites and allowing Covid-19 test of only symptomatic patients, saying anyone can get treatment in the city and the asymptomatic too should be examined.

The plea has also sought direction that hospitals should not insist for coronavirus test before admitting people even in emergency and has also sought direction for not charging higher amount for personal protection equipment (PPE) from patients and that they be charged a reasonable amount.

He has also called for taking immediate action against those government and private hospitals or nursing homes in the national capital, which refuses emergent medical care to the patients in this Covid-19 pandemic.

The petition, filed through advocate K M Monika, sought direction to the authorities for ensuring that Covid-19 test shall not be mandatory before admitting elective and even emergency patients by government and private hospitals.

In a related development, AAP government told the court that it has augmented the capacity of its Covid-19 helpline ‘1031’ and proposes to increase the ambulance fleet to ensure speedy access to treatment.