Treat disaster victims or face action: Govt tells pvt hospitals

Private hospitals and nursing homes in the capital will now face punitive action if they turn away any victim of disaster or natural calamity with Delhi lieutenant governor issuing a directive in this regard.

"It has been often found that private hospitals and nursing homes refuse to admit such patients while insisting on a police report. But they won't be able to do so now onwards," a senior official from Delhi health department said.

"If they refuse to treat the patient of disaster such as victims of house collapse, a criminal case will be registered against them for medical negligence as per a recent order from lieutenant governor Tejindera Khanna," the official said.

The issue had come up at a meeting of disaster management chaired by Khanna where the officials brought to his notice that private hospitals and clinics had been frequently turning away victims of disaster and natural calamity citing lack of police reports.

And in the absence of any legal backing, the officials said they were not able to take any action against the erring hospitals even if the patient died due to their medical negligence.

The aim is not to wait for police reports but provide timely medical aid to the patient in need. "The delay on the part of the medical hospitals at times becomes fatal for the patient," the official added.