: Taking note of an incident where hospitals in the Capital refused to admit a serious patient, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked why a patient cannot be temporarily admitted in the general ward or the intensive care unit in case of shortage of beds in a particular wing of a hospital.
The NHRC had taken suo motu cognisance of reports about how 65-year-old Satish Kaushik, suffering from a brain haemorrhage, had to be shunted from one government hospital to another either because of the shortage of beds or non-availability of a neurologist.
NHRC Member Justice D. Murugesan has issued notice to the Delhi government’s Principal Secretary (Health) and asked him to respond within four weeks.
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Mr. Kaushik, a resident of Mayur Vihar Phase III, who suffered from brain haemorrhage on January 25, was taken to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, which referred him to G.B. Pant Hospital due to lack of neurology treatment facilities. G.B. Pant Hospital refused to admit him pleading non-availability of beds and late arrival of the patient.
The patient was somehow admitted in LNJP Hospital, but was again referred back to G.B. Pant Hospital due to non-availability of a neurologist. G.B. Pant Hospital again refused him admission due to non-availability of beds. Finally, he got admission in Ram Mannohar Lohia Hospital, where he is under treatment.