What steps have you taken to improve Health Facilities in UP: High Court asks Chief Secretary

The court also asked the chief secretary and the principal secretary of the medical health and family welfare department to file an affidavit about the steps taken in this regard by the next hearing on February 25.

The bench comprising Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Justice Ajit Kumar was hearing public interest litigation filed by one Sneh Lata Singh and others, alleging pathetic conditions in the state's government hospitals.

It also issued a show cause notice to the principal of Motilal Nehru Medical College, S P Singh, asking him why criminal contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him for filing a false affidavit about the functioning of the college's trauma centre.

Singh had filed an affidavit stating that the college's trauma centre was operational, even though it was not functioning at that time.

"The budget of the medical department is very huge but effective access to medical services by poor people is comparatively very poor. Lion's share is laundered by unscrupulous persons," the court said.

"There does not appear to be a strong will and intention on part of the executive government to check it," it said.