A bench of justices B S Chauhan and Swatanter Kumar granted last chance to the government to file their replies on the petition by Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPC), filed in 2007.
"This petition is pending for so many years. Enough is enough. Let health secretaries be present if they fail to file their responses," the bench observed while granting the governments four weeks more for the purpose.
Palliative care is a specialised medical care for people with serious illnesses. It is focused on providing patients with relief from the symptoms, pain and stress of a serious illness.
The association pleaded that a palliative care policy be framed by governments and it should be included in medical and nursing curricula.
It also sought easier access to pain medicine morphine, without the dilution of checks against misuse.