Order of the Delhi High Court regarding measures to improve medical services in Delhi, 16/04/2024
Order of the Delhi High Court in the matter of Court on its Own Motion Vs Union of India & Others dated 16/04/2024.
The Dr. S K Sarin Committee of doctors constituted by the Delhi HC submitted its interim report and recommendations, April 1, 2024. The committee of doctors recommended a number of immediate, short term as well as intermediate and long term measures. The immediate measures have been recommended for implementation within thirty days.
The Delhi HC directed the Chief Secretary, GNCTD and the Principal Health Secretary, GNCTD to implement the immediate measures within the timeline stipulated by the expert committee for optimization of existing resources in various government hospitals.
The Chief Secretary and the Principal Health Secretary should also indicate a road map as to how they intend to implement the intermediate and long term measures within the timeline stipulated by the Expert Committee. The HC directed submission of an action taken cum status report to be filed by the Principal Health Secretary within four weeks. "As the immediate recommendations of the Dr.S.K.Sarin Committee of doctors shall go a long way in saving human lives and are not political in nature, this Court directs that the Model Code of Conduct shall not be a hindrance," the order added.
The Dr. S K Sarin Committee of doctors has been asked to file a supplementary report within four weeks. The next hearing of the case will be held on May 24, 2024.
Some of the immediate measures to be implemented include the following recommendations put forward by the committee of doctors.
Redistribution of consultants - Institutions where non-teaching specialists / experts are available but are not optimally utilized due to lack of machines, infrastructure, may be asked/ allowed to be posted or visit on designated day to institutions where such facilities are available. Likewise, in institutions where equipment are lying unused due to want of technical man-power, then such equipment should be put to use by ensuring availability of technical man-power to operate such equipment or such equipment should be transferred to other institutions where technical man-power is available. The committee recommended 15 per cent of the vacant posts in all categories in hospitals (for operating/managing high-end medical equipment/critical care units) to be filled within 30 days.
The committee of doctors gave recommendation for implementation of public-private partnership (PPP) model for CT scan and MRI services by identifying successful bidder for implementing the same. In all hospitals where CT/MRI scan or radiologist is not available, the aforesaid model can be adopted and implemented, especially in Level 3 and 4 hospitals.