Chhattisgarh High Court: In a suo motu public interest litigation registered on the basis of news published in Haribhoomi, Bilaspur dated 23-09-2024, highlighting that the oxygen plants built at the cost of crores of rupees in the District Hospital, Bilaspur, were lying closed, the Division Bench of Ramesh Sinha, CJ and Bibhu Datta Guru, J., observed that the Advocate General sought short time to take necessary instructions in the matter. Thus, considering the facts and circumstances, the Court directed the Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, Mahanadi Bhawan, Atal Nagar, Nawa Raipur (C.G.) to file his personal affidavit in this regard.
The news report highlighted that because of the closed oxygen plants, supply of oxygen in NICU, ICU and other wards was stopped. However, despite this situation, the hospital management kept claiming that everything was fine. The Court observed that the news highlighted that during the covid pandemic period, three Oxygen plants were installed in the District Hospital, but no employees were deployed for its upkeep and maintenance. Further, it was being operated by untrained employees and computer operators because of which two Oxygen Plants had stopped working. At present, oxygen supply was being made from the oxygen cylinders which were brought from outside. Despite various authorities inspecting the Hospital, no heed was being paid for restarting the closed Oxygen plants.
The Court noted that in the news article, it was alleged that if the oxygen plants were in operation, the officers and employees were deprived of the commission that they would receive when the oxygen cylinders were purchased from outside and approximately 30 to 50 oxygen cylinders were required daily and the payment was made for it on monthly basis. The Hospital Management was making various excuses but had not attempted to restart the Oxygen Plants which were installed after incurring huge expenses.
The Court further observed that the second news related to Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Memorial Hospital, Raipur. The news report stated that on Sunday, the OPD remains closed and for emergency situations, doctors were doing their duties only on calls. The Hospital was made to run with the help of Medical Staff only. Whenever there was holiday, the health centres were left on emergency mode and no medicine was available for the outpatients even for minor diseases. In the District Hospital, there were locks in the OPD rooms and the patients were made to suffer due to such conduct.
The Court observed that the Advocate General sought short time to take necessary instructions in the matter. Thus, considering the facts and circumstances, the Court directed the Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, Mahanadi Bhawan, Atal Nagar, Nawa Raipur (C.G.) to file his personal affidavit in this regard.
The matter would next be listed on 30-09-2024.
[Suo Moto Public Interest Litigation v. State of Chhattisgarh, WPPIL No. 76 of 2024, decided on 23-09-2024]
Advocates who appeared in this case:
For the Respondents: Prafull N. Bharat, Advocate General, assisted by Shashank Thakur, Deputy Advocate General; Trivikram Nayak, Advocate.
