Delhi HC issues notices to Centre, Delhi Govt on plea to keep patients' kin informed

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 27

The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the Centre and Delhi High Court to spell out their respective stand on a PIL demanding that family members or attendants of Covid-19 patients be kept informed about their health condition and the treatment being offered to them.

A Bench, headed by Chief Justice DN Patel, asked the Union Ministry of Health and Delhi Government to respond to a PIL by NGO Manav Awaaj Trust which complained that families only received news about the death of a patient or demand for money towards treatment charges.

“The community at large is losing confidence, trust and faith in the working of the government and private hospitals in the absence of a system or machinery where the attendant is briefed or updated about treatment administered to the patient and actual status or condition of the patient thereof regularly on daily basis by the hospital authorities,” it submitted.

“Only news reaching them is either the death of the patient or demand for the deposit of more fee. That the family members/attendants are time and again neglected by the hospitals, but for the clearance of bills,” it submitted.

Providing the daily updates about patients’ condition would “develop confidence and trust in the system of governance”, the NGO contended.

It urged the court to direct the Delhi government “to frame a policy and/ or guideline for communication of status report” every 24 hours to family or attendants of patients about their condition, treatment provided and details of the attending doctors.

The status reports can be communicated via WhatsApp, SMS, email or any other mode or an option can be given to family members or attendants to collect the report from the hospital daily at a specified time, it contended.

There were no guidelines and/or directions to ensure that the attendant of a Covid-19 patient is updated about the condition or status of the patient regularly on a daily basis, the NGO complained.