According to a statement released by the government today, the decision comes in the wake of a media report, according to which, "the life of a newborn child could not be saved since four government hospitals (in Delhi) refused to admit the child citing lack of critical care beds with ventilator facilities".
"Kejriwal has directed the health minister to submit a concrete action plan within a week to ensure that critical patients requiring life support do not have to run around hospital in times of crises," the statement said.
It has been noticed in a number of cases that family members or relatives or friends of patients in critical condition, who rush them to hospitals, are turned away, citing the common excuses of either lack of facilities or non- availability of beds, it said.
"It is an unacceptable scenario, since helpless family members keep running from pillar to post in critical time, in which the life of a serious patient could have been saved," the statement by the city government said.
More From This Section
Kejriwal has further directed that from now on, if for some justified reason, like any hospital lacking life saving facilities or non availability of beds, it will be the "mandatory emergency duty" of that hospital to find out in which other hospital such a facility is available, it said.
"It should be made part of a clearly laid down SoP so that the patient is sent to the other hospital without any delay," the statement said.
"He (Kejriwal) has made it clear that loss of lives due to lack of facilities in the hospitals of Delhi is unacceptable since the government is committed to provide best health care for the residents of the national capital.
"And it has allocated nearly Rs 6,000 crore in the current financial year for the health sector," it said.