HC summons Delhi Health Secretary on GTB Hospital mismanagement

New Delhi, Nov 30 (UNI) The Delhi High Court today asked the Principal Health Secretary of Delhi Government to be present in the court on December 6 to explain the bad state of affairs in the government-run GTB Hospital in the Capital.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice M K Sharma and Justice Hima Kohli said despite repeated directions to the hospital and the Delhi Government, steps were not taken to improve the conditions in the hospital.

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition by Advocate Varun Goswami alleged that ''There was gross mis-management and negligence on the part of the hospital administration in maintaining, upgrading and running the hospital.'' Due to mismanagement of the hospital, more than 500 new-borns died in the recent past, said the petition.

Essential equipement such as X-ray machines, angiography machines and ventilators were dysfunctional, the petition alleged.

''On account of the non-cooperative 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.

The petition also sought a criminal case be registered against the hospital administrators for alleged negligence in treating the infants and new-borns in the hospital.

UNI PAT VA KN1730