The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh Government to provide detailed information about the budget allocated for the treatment of abandoned patients in the state.
The Division Bench of Justice Attau Rahman Masoodi and Justice Om Prakash Shukla passed this order while hearing a PIL filed by Jyoti Rajpoot.
Smt Anupama Singh, Additional Chief Standing Counsel for the State-respondents has informed the Court unattended/abandoned patient known by the name of Bindu is presently under treatment in Dr Shayama Prasad Mukherjee, Civil Hospital, at Lucknow and is being taken due care of.
The Additional Chief Standing Counsel, however, is unable to clarify as to whether any budget for such patients and any specific place for treatment is identified in the State hospitals or not.
The Court said that, in case, there is any such facility created by the State Government for the treatment of such patients, it is open to the authorities concerned to take aid of the local police to transfer the patient to such a place where her treatment is carried out by providing all the necessary facilities.
“Let clear instructions in this regard be obtained from the State Government as well as regarding the budgetary allocation made, if any. The hospitals where such treatment is offered need to be publicized so that wherever the cases of unattended/abandoned patients come to the notice of the public or any public authority or a public-spirited person, a necessary mechanism is invoked so as to ensure effective and timely treatment of such patients.
Let a copy of the order be forwarded to the Secretary, State Legal Services Authority, U.P, Lucknow for necessary follow up in this regard”, the order read.
The Court has fixed the next hearing of the petition on November 07, 2023.