The High Court on Tuesday set up a six-member expert committee to recommend ways to optimise existing resources at hospitals run by the Delhi government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
The committee, headed by Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) chancellor S.K. Sarin, has been directed to make “specific and concrete recommendations” on issues such as timely availability and accessibility of ICU beds for patients in need of emergency care.
Just 6 CT scan machines
The High Court stated that the infrastructure in the city’s hospitals was “woefully inadequate”, be it in the form of “machines, medicines or manpower”.
“With only six CT scan machines available in nineteen Delhi government hospitals, which cater to a population in excess of three crore, the infrastructure needs to be ramped up manifold,” a Bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan remarked.
In case of emergencies like a serious accident, stroke or heart attack, “the golden hour of saving a life may be lost” for lack of critical infrastructure, it added.
Tuesday’s hearing was the latest in a series of proceedings on a PIL public interest litigation (PIL) plea initiated by the court itself over the “acute lack of medical services”.
It had recently pointed out an incident in January where a man who jumped out of moving police van died after he was turned away by four government hospitals in the city on various pretexts, including non-availability of ICU/ ventilator bed or CT scan machine.
The High Court asked the expert panel to look into non-admission of patients at hospitals, which results in lack of medical attention and subsequent tragic consequences.
Directing the panel to file its report within four weeks, the court posted the case for April 1.
