Delhi High Court Forms Committee to Enhance Medical Infrastructure
The Delhi High Court, on Tuesday, established a panel of experts to propose reforms for enhancing the health and medical infrastructure of all hospitals in Delhi operated by the Central Government, Delhi Government, and Municipal Corporation of Delhi. Justices Manmohan and Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora directed the formation of this expert committee, recognizing the specialized nature of healthcare and the need for informed recommendations.
Emphasizing the urgency of substantial investments and structural reforms without engaging in blame games, the court stressed the importance of addressing years of neglected healthcare infrastructure. The committee’s mandate includes optimizing existing resources in Delhi’s government hospitals, establishing a real-time control room for ICU bed availability, ensuring adequate infrastructure, medicines, and manpower, and strengthening peripheral hospitals to alleviate the burden on referral hospitals.
Furthermore, the court instructed the committee to devise mechanisms for filling vacant hospital positions on a contractual basis and to recommend additional measures for improving medical services in Delhi. The court also stated that huge investment, along with structural reforms in the functioning of government hospitals without entering into a blame game, is the need of the hour to come year of neglected apathy, which can only be done if there is consensus on the measures to be adopted both in the short and long run. This direction stems from a suo motu PIL initiated in 2017 concerning ICU bed availability and ventilator facilities, reflecting the court’s concern for healthcare infrastructure aligning with the city’s growing population.
Previously, the court expressed dissatisfaction with the NCT Delhi government and relevant departments for inadequate healthcare infrastructure. Responding to the court’s directives, the Delhi government proposed a committee comprising experts with experience in health infrastructure management and critical care units or a background in health activism. The Delhi government suggested on Monday that the committee should consist of subject matter experts who have wide experience in the field of health infrastructure management and management of critical care units and intensive care units or have a proven track record of working as activists on the issue of health.
According to the Government, the proposed Members for the said Expert committee are Ashok Aggarwal – Social Jurist & Member, the Inspection
Committee constituted by High Court of Delhi, Dr. S.K. Sarin, Director, TLBS, Dr Deepak K. – Ex – Dean, MAMC (Anesthetist), Dr. S. Ramji, Ex-Dean, MAMC (Neonatologist), Dr. Urmil Jhamb, Ex-HOD, Pediatrics, MAMC & Ex-Director, CNBC (Pediatric Intensivist), Dr. B. L Sherwal, Ex-Ex-Director, RGSSH & Ex-MS, Safdarjung Hospital (Microbiologist), Dr. R S Rautella – Ex-Medical Director, GTBH (Anaesthetist), Dr. Vikas Dogia, HOD, Pulmonology, RGSSH (Pulmonologist);.
According to a status report, out of 735 sanctioned posts of non-teaching specialists in Delhi government hospitals, 287 posts, i.e., 39 pc of the total sanctioned posts, are lying vacant.
According to a status report, a significant number of specialist positions in Delhi government hospitals remain vacant, including crucial areas like radiology and neurosurgery. The report also highlights vacancies in general duty medical officers and dental surgeons. Efforts to expedite recruitment have been made, with requests forwarded to the Lt. Governor and the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
The formation of this committee reflects a concerted effort to address deficiencies in Delhi’s healthcare infrastructure and to ensure the provision of quality medical services to the public.