AIIMS Deoghar burns ward under HC scanner; seeks steps to operationalise care
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Ranchi: The Jharkhand High Court on Wednesday sought accountability from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Deoghar, over the functioning of its burns ward, stressing the importance of emergency burn care in a tertiary medical institution. The court directed the hospital administration to submit the steps taken to operationalise burn treatment services.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice M.S. Sonak and Justice Rajesh Shankar was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) that was initiated suo motu by the High Court. The bench specifically asked AIIMS Deoghar to clarify whether emergency services in the burns ward had been made functional and, if so, since when, underscoring the hospital’s duty towards critical care patients.
According to TOI, the PIL was initiated by the High Court on August 30, 2022, following media reports about the death of a young burn victim, which raised serious concerns about access to specialised burn management facilities. The case highlighted gaps in emergency referral systems and burn care infrastructure in the region.
The victim was a Class XII student from Dumka who had sustained extensive burn injuries after being attacked by a man from her locality. She was initially taken to a local hospital and later referred to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi, where she succumbed to her injuries on August 28, 2022, despite medical intervention.
The incident had triggered wider questions about the availability and readiness of specialised burn units in Jharkhand, particularly at centrally funded institutions like AIIMS Deoghar. Following the incident, the police arrested the accused and his aide, and both were later convicted and sentenced by the Dumka Sessions Court.
The High Court’s ongoing scrutiny, however, remains focused on the medical and institutional response—especially whether advanced burn care facilities were available and accessible at the time of the incident—reflecting the judiciary’s emphasis on strengthening emergency medical services and ensuring that critical care infrastructure functions as mandated.
