The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to Delhi government for allegedly refusing to admit a senior citizen suffering from brain hemorrhage in its hospitals.
"It is not clear why the patient cannot be temporarily admitted in any other general ward or ICU of any other specialty in case of shortage of a bed in a particular wing of a hospital," observed Justice D Murugesan, Member of NHRC while issuing notice to the Principal Secretary (Health), Delhi government.
Murugesan has given him four weeks to respond, said an NHRC statement.
The Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report about how Satish Kaushik, who suffered brain hemorrhage, had to be taken from one Delhi government hospital to another either because of the shortage of a bed or non-availability of a neurologist.
According to a media report, 65-year-old Kaushik, a resident of Mayur Vihar Phase III, suffered brain hemorrhage on January 25.
He was taken to the Lal Bahadur Shastri hospital which referred him to the GB Pant hospital due to lack of neurology treatment facilities. The hospital refused to admit him pleading non-availability of beds and late arrival of the patient four hours after the stroke, the statement said.
The patient was taken to the LNJP hospital from where he was referred back to the GB Pant hospital due to non-availability of neurologist and the GB Pant hospital refused him admission yet again due to non-availability of bed.
Finally, he was admitted at the RML Hospital.
The Commission expressed anguish over such incidents in the recent past as well and emphasized the need to strengthen the health facilities while taking up the matter with Delhi government.
However, it appears that a lot more needs to be done in the matter by the authorities, the statement added.
