HC summons Safdarjung Hospital MS for jaundice among newly-born

New Delhi, Feb 8 (UNI) The Delhi High Court today directed the Medical Superintendent of Government-owned Safdarjung Hospital to be personally present in the court on February 13 to explain the reasons for many newly-born babies getting inflicted with jaundice.

A division bench of Justices Swatanter Kumar and H R Malhotra ordered for the presence of the MS, Head of the Departments of Surgery and Gynaecology to explain the reasons for unhygienic conditions in the hospital.

''How does a newly-born get jaundice? It must be due to contaminated water,'' observed the court.

The Court suggested the government to explore the possibilities of accepting donations from the public for the improvement of facilities in the public sector hospitals.

While asking the authorities to be objective in formulating policies, the court said, ''Why not to accept donations from the public? Many charitable hospitals run on donations and the government should explore the possiblities.'' Reacting to the submission of the Counsel appearing for the Hospital to remove a bus stand in front of a gate facing the Casualty Ward, the court asked the hospital authorities to submit a detailed sketch of the hospital.

The Judges said the kitchen of a hospital should provide clean and hygienic food to the patients.

The Court Committee, which made surprise visit to the Hospital to verify the claims of the authorities about improvement in facilities for patients, submitted that the kitchen and surgery ward were dirty.

A washing unit was installed near the surgery ward and blood was spilling out of the operation theatre, said the report submitted by the committee comprising Advocates Siddharth Mridul and Meera Bhatia.

Despite repeated directions, the authorities were not initiating action to improve the conditions in the departments, said the report.

Various departments of the government had failed in disposing of their responsibilities in running the 1500-bedded Safdarjung Hospital where more than 6000 patients go for treatment everyday, said the report.

There were no sufficient doctors, nurses and para-medical staff to attend to the patients in the Central government hospital. The 47-acre sprawling campus was not being hygienically maintained by the CPWD, alleged a PIL seeking direction for improvement.

UNI