HC summons Director and MS of Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Hospital

New Delhi, Nov 2 (UNI) The Delhi High Court today summoned the Director and Medical Superintendent (MS) of Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Hospital in West Delhi for not providing free treatment to at least 25 per cent of patients belonging to the economically weaker section in violation of the lease deeds.

While hearing a PIL filed by NGO Social Jurist, a division bench of Justices Mukundakam Sharma and Hima Kohli said the Director and the MS of the Hospital, which was allotted government land at a concessional rate, should be present in the court on the next date of hearing.

The Court said action should be taken to the logical conclusion in accordance with the stipulations prescribed on the lease deed.

The Committee headed by Maninder Acharya and formed by the High Court submitted a status report saying it visited 26 hospitals and found that there was not a single poor patient admitted to 18 hospitals.

The Court said if there was non-compliance of the regulations, no activities should be allowed in these hospitals.

The hospitals, which did not have a single poor patient, were Escorts Heart Institute, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Hospital, Dharmashila Cancer Hospital, Jiwan Anmol Hospital and Mahavir Hospital.

The DDA had cancelled the lease deed of the Escorts Hospital, which the single bench of Justice Anil Kumar had stayed till final disposal of the petition.

In December 2005, the Delhi High Court had formed the committee comprising Delhi Health Secretary, some eminent advocates including petitioner Ashok Agrawal and government officials to monitor the implementation of its directives for free treatment to some poor patients in the private hospitals which were given land by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Land and Development Office of the Urban Development Ministry at a concessional rate.

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