HC asks hospital to provide dialysis to daily wage worker

Delhi High Court has asked a city based hospital to provide haemodialysis and other medical facilities to a daily wage worker, who was denied it on the ground of his insufficient contribution to the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC).

A bench of Justice Rajiv Shakdher issued notices to the Centre, ESIC and city-based Bhagwati Hospital seeking their response on a plea filed by Nagender Prasad. "This is a matter which would require the examination, especially, given the circumstances, that the petitioner is a daily wage worker who, it appears, was unable to go to work on account of his illness. Evidently, in turn, failure to join work has led to discontinuation of contribution with ESIC.

"In a sense, one set of circumstance is feeding on to the other," the court said, adding that it required consideration "whether the medical facility by an empanelled hospital can be stopped mid-way in such circumstances".

While issuing notice to the hospital on a plea filed by advocate Ashok Agarwal, who appeared for the petitioner, the court said, "In the meanwhile, Bhagwati Hospital will provide necessary medical facilities, including haemodialysis to the petitioner."

The court also asked the Centre to ascertain whether the necessary medical facilities can be provided to Prasad at a government-run hospital. It noted that 29-year-old Prasad was on regular haemodialysis for the past three years and was getting it done at Bhagwati hospital here.

However, since the begining of this month, the hospital had stopped providing him the facilities on the ground that his contribution made with ESIC was not sufficient.