Moved by the plight of a 23-year-old pregnant woman who was denied admission to a city hospital due to non-availability of bed and delivered a baby boy at the hospital emergency gate, the Delhi high court on Friday issued notices to the Delhi government, the MCD and Centre and sought their detailed response.
The incident occurred on July 11, the day the city government had declared a unique plan of medical facilities for pregnant women with fanfare.
After going through the petition of 23-year-old Suman, through her counsels Tariq Adeeb and Jayshree Satpute, Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw issued a notice for August 2 to the Delhi government, MCD and Babasaheb Ambedkar Hospital and directed the hospital to send an ambulance to pick up the woman and child and admit them for treatment.
A shocked court, which was apprised about the case by an NGO which provided help to the woman, that Suman, a resident of Shahbad Dairy area in outer Delhi, was denied admission as no bed was available there and she was directed to go to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital.
Before she could be taken to another hospital, she delivered the baby near the emergency gate, the petition alleged.
The hospital then admitted her and the child for a few days but discharged her on July 15 on the ground of non-payment of certain charges, the petition said.
Making it clear that the mother and child will not be deprived of medical assistance on the ground of non-payment of some charges, the court said, “Ambedkar Hospital is directed to send an ambulance at the address of the petitioner today itself and admit her and the child for requisite medical attention.”