HC seeks govt's view on free treatment to seriously ill poor

The Delhi High Court today sought suggestions from the Centre, AAP government and hospitals here on how to provide speedy, timely and free-of-cost treatment to poor patients suffering from serious ailments.
Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva also asked All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to give suggestions with regard to utilisation of beds reserved for poor people in private hospitals by referring patients to them so that people do not have to wait for long to be treated.
"Parties (Centre and AAP government) are directed to file suggestions within two weeks on how to provide speedy, timely and free-of-cost treatment to poor patients.

"Suggestions shall also be filed by government hospitals and government-aided hospitals, so that in near future no one is deprived of treatment," the court said, adding that "there is a problem with regard to providing free treatment to poor and we all need to find out a solution".
The court's direction was issued during the hearing of a plea for speedy and free treatment of 45-year-old Meera Devi, who is suffering from brain tumor and whose surgery was fixed in August 2018 by the medical institute.
Devi, through her counsel Ashok Aggarwal, alleged that when they requested for an early date, they asked her to opt for a private ward which would cost around Rs 1.25 lakh.

The court was however informed by an NGO that the woman has been shifted to G B Pant hospital here where she was being taken care of.

Hearing this, the court was relieved that the emergency situation regarding the woman was now under control.
It, however, called for suggestions before October 19 from the concerned authorities, so that poor people do not have to wait for their treatment for so long.
In her petition, the woman has said she was diagnosed with meningioma, a kind of tumor that forms on the membranes covering brain and spinal cord.
"The tumor of over 2.5 cm may cause severe morbidity and may be fatal... The primary treatment of malignant meningioma is the removal of tumor by brain surgery or by administration of radiotherapy," the plea said.

"The condition of the patient is deteriorating day by day showing worsened symptoms of continuous headache, vertigo, inability to stand and walk, often falling unconscious, severe weakness and pain in the whole body. She is unable to drink and eat and is suffering from fever regularly."
She had contended that she was "sure to die within a few months and would not survive till the said date of August 19, 2018 given (by AIIMS) for the brain surgery unless some miracle happens".