Delhi HC directs govt hospital to admit man for liver treatment

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court directed the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) here to admit a man, who needed a liver transplant and could not afford to bear the cost, for his treatment.

Justice Rajiv Shakdher also asked the hospital, which comes under the Delhi government, to file a status report in the matter.

The court was hearing a plea by Birender Kumar, who claimed that he was suffering from acute liver failure and ILBS was refusing to provide him free treatment.

Advocate Ashok Agarwal, appearing for Kumar, told the court that the hospital was asking for money for the treatment despite the fact that he was poor and could not afford the cost of the treatment and must be treated under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category.

He further said possible donors were available depending upon matching of the parameters.

The man claimed he was initially getting treatment at Vellore and later on admitted to ILBS on April 6 and he had paid around Rs 2 lakh in the hospital by April 22.

The plea said Kumar was asked to deposit Rs 15 lakh for liver transplant and when he expressed inability to pay such a hefty amount as he and his family have sold everything including their house for his treatment, he was asked to leave the hospital.

He was taken to another hospital where he was admitted under EWS category but the doctors advised him to undergo liver transplant at the earliest at another hospital where the facility is available, the plea said.