HC may call UT Health Secretary

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 10

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today made it clear that personal appearance of the UT Secretary, Health, could be required to clear the existing position with regard to health care services in Chandigarh.

The assertion by Justice Rajan Gupta came after the Bench was told that two trauma wards in at the Sector 16 Government Multi-Specialty Hospital were under occupied while other hospitals were overburdened.

But before summoning the Secretary, Justice Gupta asserted an opportunity was granted purely in the interest of justice to UT senior standing counsel Suvir Sehgal to seek instructions and apprise the court. For the purpose, Justice Gupta set a 10-day deadline.

Amicus curiae or the friend of the Court, senior advocate, Anupam Gupta, had referred to an affidavit filed by the Secretary, Health, pointing out that there was a round-the-clock trauma ward with 32 beds, apart from a casuality department with 50 beds, special care unit with seven beds, male surgical ward with 44 beds, female surgical ward with 41 beds and a burn ward with three beds.

Gupta told the Bench that he personally visited the hospital before submitting that these facilities had been available for quite some time and male and female surgical wards could not be considered as a part of the trauma or emergency services.

He also found that two wards on the first floor above the emergency, male trauma ward and female trauma ward, were under occupied. “The reasons for this are inexplicable, especially when other hospitals are overburdened. It appears that the personal appearance of the Secretary, Health, UT, Chandigarh, may be necessary to clear its position,” Justice Gupta added.

The developments took place a year after the High Court took cognizance of medical services in the region. Justice Gupta has already admonished the authorities concerned in Chandigarh for the absence of appropriate and fully equipped trauma centres in the city.

“It is inexplicable why a proper and fully equipped trauma centres have not been set up at the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, and the Government Multi-Speciality Hospital, Sector 16, leaving the PGIMER to bear the brunt,” Justice Gupta asserted on a previous date of hearing.