ILNS: A PIL has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking a direction to the Delhi Government to issue a circular to all hospitals in the capital to put up big display boards for availability of beds and other services in their institutions.
The PIL, filed by Nursing Officer Sinu John, sought directions to the Delhi government to make it mandatory for all hospitals in the capital to place big display boards, preferably digital boards, outside their hospital premises, which give information about the total number of beds in the hospital, number of beds available and data regarding the availability of ventilators and oxygen cylinders.
The petition also stated that Delhi has now become the worst-hit city in the country in this second coronavirus wave. Thereafter, it reiterated that two Delhi hospitals face FIRs for misinformation on beds for COVID-19 patients on April 18, 2021.
The petition also highlighted the demand for hospital beds and oxygen cylinders, which has increased like never before. The media reports and reports of fellow medical professionals suggested that patients were lying in queues outside many hospitals for getting a bed.
Many have lost their lives because they neither got proper medical attention, nor accurate information regarding the availability of beds. The present situation, thus, warrants some new measures that will help to withstand this new wave of COVID-19.
The petition said the reason for immediately passing the above direction to all hospitals was due to rise in incidents of unfair and prejudicial treatment by some hospitals in cases of admission.
“It is seen that COVID-19 patients, who are in a critical state, are finding it difficult to get hospitalised, primarily because they are from economically weak background and are denied treatment, stating non-availability of beds,” added the plea.
Therefore, there is a need like never before for directing all the hospitals in Delhi to project on a display board all the necessary details regarding beds and other necessary facilities connected with COVID-19 treatment outside their hospital premises. it said.
The petition further stated that there was also a need for regular monitoring of hospitals by the Delhi Government, to see whether the numbers provided by the hospitals in the mobile application were accurate or not.
The petition also mentioned that the patients and their relatives, who have to endlessly wait outside the hospital premises for some information regarding the possibility of admission in a hospital, will be immensely benefited, if the Delhi Government passes a fresh guidelines to all the hospitals, making it mandatory to place a display board.
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It will also help the Delhi Government to know the exact position of all the hospitals in the city, when it comes to COVID-19 treatment, it added.