The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Court orders probe into denial of treatment

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Sunday, Jan 06, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Court orders probe into denial of treatment

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the State Government to probe the alleged denial of medical treatment to indigent patients in government hospitals.

It also wanted a report, to be prepared by the Health and Family Welfare Department Secretary, submitted in the court on January 22.

Referring to a recent news report about a senior citizen lying unattended outside the government general hospital here, a Division Bench of Justice D. Murugesan and Justice V. Periya Karuppiah said: “If the averments are true, it is a matter for great concern, and the report highlights the traumatic experience of patients being admitted in government hospitals without any caretakers. Every citizen of this country has a right to have basic medical treatment, and such right cannot be denied. It must also be kept in mind that human life is a noble gift, and it cannot be treated with impunity.”

The Bench was passing orders on a habeas corpus petition filed by S. Sekar, 47, of Cuddalore district. He said his 68-year-old father went missing from home on December 1, only to be traced more than two weeks later at the government hospital in Chennai.

After he was referred to the Chennai hospital, his father did not get proper treatment and was found lying unattended outside the hospital, he said, citing a newspaper report.

The Bench directed the Resident Medical Officer of the government general hospital to file a report with details such as the date of his admission and treatment given to him on January 22.

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