High Court seeks status report of Nainital district hospital

Nainital: Expressing concern over the deplorable condition of the BD Pandey District Hospital of Nainital, Uttarakhand High Court has sought a status report mentioning the existing facilities available in different departments of the Hospital.

The court has ordered the formation of a special commission to carry out the inspection of the B.D. Pandey District Hospital of Nainital.  

The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Rakesh Thapliyal was considering a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) where the petitioner highlighted the hospital's shortcomings.

As per a recent media report by India legal, there are extremely few specialists on staff and very few medical facilities in the aforementioned institution. In the hospital, not a single cardiologist is employed. Numerous medical devices and equipment are in need of repair, stated the petition. 

The petitioner claimed that the State has not at all complied with the instruction given by the Court. The Bench instructed the Secretary, Medical Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttarakhand, Dehradun, to physically remain present in Court on the subsequent date in light of the emergency situation and the threat that the lack of medical services poses to the lives of the people in Nainital.

The bench took note of the fact that it takes almost 1.30-2.00 hours by road to travel between Nainital and Haldwani and Nainital has been constantly crowded with tourists. The Bench stated that having specialised medical facilities in all areas of the hospital is very necessary, especially in light of the diseases that pose a threat to our lives.

“Even our experience is that if there is a medical complication reported by a patient, he is immediately referred to a hospital in Haldwani, or elsewhere”, said the Division Bench of Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Rakesh Thapliyal. While serving a notice to the respondent hospital, the High Court ordered the respondents to submit a status report regarding the current facilities offered in the various departments of the aforementioned hospital, reports the daily.

The medical professionals and other employees who are now employed in the various departments of the aforementioned hospital must be mentioned in the report along with their area of specialization. The Bench further instructed the hospital to mention which medical devices are operational and which are not.

"We deemed it appropriate to get the local inspection conducted in the B.D. Pandey Hospital. Vikas Bahuguna, Advocate is present in Court, and he is requested by the High Court to carry out the Commission. He is directed to visit the said hospital, and submit a report with regard to its existing condition. He shall be granted access in all the areas by the hospital administration, to inspect and furnish a report before the High Court. He shall take photographs for better appreciation of the situation by the High Court," stated the bench.