A division bench of the Gujarat high court ordered an interim stay on the state government's decision to hand over the government hospital in Bhuj to the Adani Group for its medical college.
A division bench of the Gujarat high court ordered an interim stay on the state government's decision to hand over the government hospital in Bhuj to the Adani Group for its medical college.
The bench, comprising Chief Justice SJ Mukhopadhaya and justice JB Pardiwala, also sought replies from the state government and the Adani Group regarding the procedure followed to hand over the administration of the hospital under public-private partnership (PPP).
The bench was hearing a petition filed by one Adam Chaki, though his lawyer Hashim Qureshi, challenging the government's decision to hand over the hospital which was destroyed in the 2001 earthquake. The hospital was rebuilt and equipped with advanced facilities, with money from the prime minister's rehabilitation fund.
The petition mentioned a series of events that exposed how the government had handed over the administration of the hospital allegedly without following any procedure, including inviting other interested parties.
The chief justice, who was annoyed by the government's decision, said: "How can the government just hand over the hospital to Adani, one person who has specialties in every business and has his kingdom?" He also asked how the government had not invited any interested party and yet had handed over the hospital on the PPP model.
The bench finally asked the state government as well as the Adani Group to file their replies. The court also asked the Adani Group to state whether the new management was ready to spare 50 percent of the beds to provide free treatment.
Advocate Qureshi had raised vital questions in the petition. The GK general hospital was rebuilt after it was destroyed in the earthquake of 2001. The hospital is close to the border with Pakistan and had provided treatment during emergencies caused by quake, hurricane, floods and other natural calamities, the petition said.
The government's decision to hand over the hospital's administration can affect the availability of medical treatment to poor people. The government had spent more than Rs100 crore in the hospital's reconstruction and now it had handed it over to a private group on 99 years' lease, the petition said.
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