Delhi High Court constitutes expert committee to improve Delhi's health infrastructure

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday constituted an expert committee to assess Delhi’s health infrastructure and suggest ways to improve the facilities at the hospitals run by Central and Delhi government as well as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. .A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora passed a detailed order observing that it is apparent that the infrastructure (be it in form of medicine, machines, or manpower) is woefully lacking at Delhi’s government hospitals.The court noted that only six CT scan machines are available in 19 Delhi government hospitals which cater to a population of more than three crore and the infrastructure needs to be ramped up manifold.In its order, the Court said that it is apparent that the authorities in which powers are rested to manage and run the hospital are not doing so properly and huge investment as well as structural reforms are necessary in the function of the government hospitals..Delhi High Court pulls up Delhi government for poor health infrastructure in Delhi hospitals.The committee has been asked to:.Consider the issue of health infrastructure in detail and suggest ways and means for optimisation of the health infrastructure;Devise mechanism for establishing a control room to enable for real time information regarding ICU and other beds in the hospital;Suggest ways and means to ensure uninterrupted supply of medicines, equipment and manpower for managing those equipment in various government hospitals;Suggest ways and means to reduce stress on referral hospital by strengthening the peripheral hospital;Come up with a mechanism to immediately fill the vacant posts of specialists (teaching/non-teaching), medical officers and paramedics on contract basis, till regular incumbents join;To make other recommendations as the committee thinks fit and proper..The committee will have the following members:.Dr SK Sarin, Chancellor ILBS (Chairman)Dr Nikhil Tandon, Professor & Head of the Dept of Endocrinology and Metabolism, AIIMSDr DK Sharma, MS, Dr RP Eye Centre, AIIMSDr Suresh Kumar, Director, LNJP HospitalDr Piyush Gupta, Professor of Paediatrics & Principal, University College of Medical SciencesDr Deepak K Tempe, Senior Professor, Anaes/Vice Chancellor, ILBS..The Court passed the order while hearing a suo motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition regarding the issue of medical infrastructure in Delhi.Amicus curiae (friend of the court) Advocate Ashok Agrawal had recently moved an application in the case, bringing to the Court’s notice an incident where a man who jumped out of a moving police van died after the denial of treatment by four government hospitals. .Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj then filed a status report in the Court admitting that there is shortage of doctors and paramedics in the government hospitals. He also said that the bureaucracy was not obeying his orders.Meanwhile, the Health Secretary personally appeared before the Court and denied the allegation made by Bhardwaj.The Secretary also disputed the Minister’s contentions and gave a consolidated position regarding vacancies and infrastructure.The Amicus Curiae meanwhile said that there were no ICU beds in nine government hospitals and medical equipment was not functioning in several institutions. He said that in departments like radiology and imaging, patients are being given appointments of May 2025 to March 2027..The Court after considering the arguments ordered constitution of expert committee to examine the issues and make suggestions to augment the medical infrastructure in Delhi.The Court made it clear that the expert committee will provide monthly reports to the High Court and shall give primacy to the aspect of critical healthcare and should consider the suggestions given by Health Minister, Health Secretary as well as Amicus Curiae Agarwal who is the amicus curiae in the matter.“The committee is requested to prepare an interim report in four weeks and place the same on record,” the Court ordered.The matter will be considered next on April 1.Names of the members appointed to the expert committee will be clear when the detailed order is made available..Advocate Ashok Agarwal appeared as Amicus Curiae. He was assisted by advocates Ashna Khan, Kumar Utkarsh and Manoj Kumar. .[Read Order]