GTB Hospital Superintendent summoned

New Delhi, Sep 25 (UNI) The Delhi High Court today directed the Medical Superintendent of the Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital to be personally present in the court on October 12 to explain the reasons of the neglect leading to alleged deaths of new-borns in the hospital.

A division bench of Justices M K Sharma and Hima Kohli asked the Superintendent to be present to clarify the allegations in the status report filed by petitioner Counsel Varun Goswami.

During the hearing of the PIL, Goswami said the hospital was in a very bad shape and it failed to serve the patients properly.

''The medicine ICU was non-functional and paediatric ICU virtually did not exist,'' said the fact-finding team in its report submitted to the court.

''It is unfortunate and shocking to note that the disaster ward was presently lying in state of complete neglect and is totally unattended,'' said the report.

The general hygiene of the hospital was extremely poor. The Hospital did not have a paediatric surgeon to carry out paediatric surgery.

In the PIL, Goswami alleged that ''There was gross mis-management and negligence on the part of the hospital administration in maintaining, upgrading and running the hospital.'' ''On account of the uncooperative and lethargic attitude of the hospital administration, doctors of the hospital have expressed their helplessness in providing better medical treatment and facilities to the patients,'' added the petition.

Quoting newspaper reports, the petitioner alleged that ''at least, 500 infants succumbed due to the faulty ventilators in the nursery of the hospital.'' The petitioner prayed seeking direction to the respondents to upgrade the facilities in the hospital particularly in the nursery, to submit details of accounts spent on maintenance of the hospital, details on infants admitted to the hospital and infant mortality rate in the institute.

UNI PAT PK GC1939