The Delhi High Court on Friday has directed AIIMS to provide necessary medical treatment to a Cancer patient and directed Delhi Government to issue fresh passes for the patient and her family if the complete lockdown due to COVID-19 continues after 14th April 2020.
A Single Judge bench of Justice Mukta Gupta passed these directions while hearing a plea filed by a Cancer patient through her husband seeking directions for her necessary medical treatment at AIIMS.
The counsel for the petitioner informed the Court that the petitioner is a patient of HIV +ve for the last 20 years, and was suffering from mouth ulcers that further developed into cancer. This came into their knowledge on 9th March, 2020. As the condition of the petitioner has worsened, she was visiting OPD, AIIMS but she was referred to Cancer Centre at AIIMS, Jhajjar. However, before the petitioner could visit AIIMS Jhajjar with relevant reports, the Hospital was declared as an exclusive Hospital for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
The High Court considering the assurance given in the Status Report, directed the doctors at AIIMS to give necessary medical treatment to the petitioner and when she is in a position to take radio chemo therapy as an OPD patient, she will be discharged. The Court has also directed the Delhi Government to issue fresh passes beyond 14th April, 2020 to the petitioner and her family members on application, if the lockdown continues.
-India Legal Bureau