High Court reprimands the government for closing the cardiac care unit in Dehradun

The High Court has strongly reprimanded the government for the closure of the cardiac unit operating in PPP mode at Pt Deendayal Upadhyay District Hospital Coronation Dehradun. Along with this, till the re-operation of this unit, orders have been given to treat heart patients free of cost in six major hospitals of Dehradun. The list of these hospitals has been submitted by the government to the High Court.

On Wednesday, a division bench of Acting Chief Justice Justice Sanjay Kumar Mishra and Justice RC Khulbe heard a public interest litigation filed by Satyaveer Singh, a resident of Dehradun. In which it has been said that the government had given Fortis Hospital Delhi to run the cardiac unit in District Hospital Coronation Dehradun in PPP mode. The contract expired on 7 March 2021, which was extended by the government till 6 March 2022. But in the meantime, due to the election code of conduct being in effect, the government did not enter into a new contract and the cardiac unit was locked. Due to which people were deprived of essential services like heart disease treatment. The petitioner had requested the High Court to give appropriate directions to the State Government in this matter.

During the hearing, the government gave the court a list of six hospitals where heart patients would be treated free of cost. The High Court, in its order, has said that till the operation of the cardiac unit at Coronation Hospital starts, free treatment of heart patients should be continued in half a dozen hospitals empaneled by the government. The court told the government that when their contract was terminated, why did the officials not inform the Election Commission about it.