HC seeks complete report on dengue patient’s death

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 12

Less than a month after a private hospital in Gurugram billed a dead seven-year-old patient’s family more than Rs 15 lakh for dengue care, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today sought complete inquiry report from the Haryana Government.

Taking up the matter, a Division Bench of the High Court also made it clear that no individual or institution responsible for the incident should be spared. The Bench asked the state to spell out the details of action against the hospital, besides individual doctors.

The Bench of Justice Ajay Kumar Mittal and Justice Amit Rawal passed the orders while hearing the ongoing suo motu or “court on its own motion” case on widespread prevalence of dengue in this part of the region.

The Bench asked the state to submit the detailed inquiry report by January 18, 2018, when the matter would come up for resumed hearing. The Bench also asked the state to set up a special investigation team to look into the matter.

The orders came after amicus curiae or the friend of the court Anupam Gupta informed the Bench that the Haryana Government had only filed a status report.

He said the entire inquiry report, containing the information starting from the girl’s admission to the hospital till she was discharged, had not been placed before the Bench. Gupta expressed appreciation for the Haryana Government for acting “firmly and strongly”.

Responding to the assertion, the state counsel said the report was voluminous, running into hundreds of pages. The argument, however, failed to find favour with the Bench as it directed the state to submit the complete report in court on the next date of hearing.

Gupta, on the previous date of hearing, had alleged that the bill for more than Rs 15 lakh was raised by the hospital for 15-day treatment. Describing the bill as startling, Gupta said an inquiry was required to be carried out. Gupta added that even an ambulance was not provided by the hospital to the relatives for taking the body home.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the widespread prevalence of dengue and resultant deaths, Justice Rawal, in his suo motu note, had rapped the authorities concerned for “gross negligence and dereliction of duty” for their failure to control the biting malady in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.