HC seeks Delhi govt reply on plea to direct hospitals not to deny admission to patients

New Delhi, June 8

The Delhi High Court, on Monday, sought response of the AAP government on a plea seeking direction to the government and private hospitals not to deny admission to asymptomatic and symptomatic COVID-19 patients.

The plea has also sought a direction that hospitals should not insist for COVID-19 test before admitting people even in an emergency.

A bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan, which conducted the hearing through video-conferencing, issued a notice to the Delhi government and listed the matter for further hearing on June 25.

The bench was hearing a petition filed by advocate and petitioner Krishna Kumar Sharma, who has also sought direction for not charging higher amount for personal protection equipment (PPE) from patients and that they be charged a reasonable amount.

He also sought to ensure that hospitals were not forcing frontline health workers to wear used PPE.

He has also called for taking immediate action against those government and private hospitals or nursing homes in the national capital, which refuses emergent medical care to the patients in this COVID-19 pandemic.

The petition, filed through advocate KM Monika, sought a direction to the authorities for ensuring that COVID-19 test would not be mandatory before admitting elective and even emergency patients by government and private hospitals.

“…multiple private hospitals have made COVID-19 test mandatory before admitting elective and even emergency patients, despite respondent (Delhi government) issued a clarification on the aforesaid issue, asking hospitals authority not to test asymptomatic patients,” it said.

The petitioner told the high court that many hospitals were hesitating in providing critical services such as dialysis, blood transfusion, chemotherapy and institutional deliveries.

“It has also been noticed that at many places the hospitals/clinics are insisting for a COVID-19 test before providing services. Multiple directions issued by the Delhi government, that if any government and private hospital or nursing homes refuse emergent medical care to the person amid COVID-19 pandemic, strict action will be taken against the defaulters….,” the plea said. PTI