The High Court of Karnataka on Monday asked the State government to submit details of its health policy, if any, as a litigant has sought a direction to the government to provide hospital facility in all gram panchayats in the State.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Suraj Govindaraj issued the direction while hearing the petition filed by Gurunath Vadde, a resident of Aurad in Bidar district.
Though the plea of the petitioner to have a hospital in every gram panchayat may not be a proper approach, the court observed that it is the obligation of the State to provide proper healthcare facilities even in rural areas in view of right to health guaranteed under the Article 21 of the Constitution of India.
Apart from right to health guaranteed under the Constitution, it is relevant to deliberate on the need of providing proper health facility in rural and remote areas of the State in the present context as COVID-19 has not spread to many rural areas, the Bench said, in its order while adjourning further hearing.
