- Tuesday, May 07, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
THE Supreme Court of India on Monday (19) criticised India’s hospitals saying they have become industries that thrive on human distress and it is better to shut them down.
“Do we look at hospitals as a real estate industry, or as a service to humanity?” A two-judge bench comprising Justices DY Chandrachud and MR Shah asked.
The apex court, which expressed its deep disappointment over several hospitals’ failure in adhering to fire-safety norms, said, “Hospitals have become a large industry now based on human distress. We cannot allow them to prosper at the cost of human lives. Let such hospitals be closed and allow the state to bolster health care facilities. Let not such hospitals operate in buildings with four rooms etc.”
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Justice Chandrachud gave an instance where one point in Nasik in the western state of Maharashtra, who had recovered from Covid-19 and was due to be released from the hospital the next day was burnt alive in a fire incident. Two nurses also died in the tragedy.
“These tragedies have unfolded in front of our eyes. Are these hospitals are real estate industry or providing service to humanity?” the bench asked.
The Supreme Court was hearing a suo motu case regarding the proper treatment of Covid-1 patients and dignified handling of dead bodies in the hospitals and issue concerning fire tragedies in Covid-19 hospitals across India.
The court also reprimanded the government of the western state of Gujarat over failing to follow its directions with regard to fire-safety norms in hospitals, while referring to a notification issued by the government extending the deadline till June next year for the hospitals to adhere to the norms to check building bye-law violations.
“You say hospitals don’t have to adhere till 2022 and people will continue dying and be burnt,” the bench observed.
It also took exception to the fact that a report by a commission on the fire-safety issue in hospitals was filed in a sealed cover. “What is this report in a sealed cover by commission etc.? It is not a nuclear secret,” said Justice Chandrachud.
The apex court had ordered fire-safety audits and other illegalities by hospitals across the country after fires in hospitals dedicated to Covid-19 in states like Gujarat and Maharashtra had killed several patients.
