The Madras High Court on Tuesday censured government officials who failed to keep up their undertaking to disburse compensation to 16 victims who contracted Hepatitis C due to the alleged negligence on part of the staff of the Government Stanley Medical Hospital.
“We found that the Government Pleader is seeking to withdraw from what was stated before us on September 21, 2015 when he had unequivocally stated that while compensation of Rs. 3 lakh had already been disbursed to the victims, a further sum of Rs. 2 lakh per head had been sanctioned, which would be shortly disbursed,” the First Bench headed by Chief Justice S.K. Kaul said.
Noting that it appears that thereafter there has been a reversal of this decision by the government, the Bench called for all the records pertaining to the issue be produced and the person taking a decision not to honour the commitment made in the court should personally be present on April 27.
The issue pertains to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition moved by Jayaram Venkatesan seeking a direction to the State Health Department to provide special treatment to the 16 patients who contracted Hepatitis C while undergoing dialysis in the hospital, and to award adequate compensation, besides constituting an expert committee to ascertain the cause for spread of the virus in the hospital August 2014.
On September 21, 2015, the government stated that compensation of Rs. 3 lakh had been disbursed and that a further sum of Rs. 2 lakh has been sanctioned, which would be disbursed soon.
When the PIL plea came up for hearing on Tuesday, the pleader sought to withdraw the statement, prompting the Bench to pass the order.
