The Madras High Court on Friday impressed upon the need for the State government to think out of the box and accordingly review the healthcare facilities to ensure that the poor and the rich get quality treatment.
Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy said a broad-based study and approach was necessary in the light of how the healthcare system was found short during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for those who could not afford expensive private medical facilities.
The judges wanted to know the State government’s stand on the issue by July 30 and said that it was time to think out of the box to ensure that better healthcare facilities were not reserved for the rich alone. The court observed that the budgetary allocation towards healthcare did not appear to be appropriate considering the demography and mainly large young population.
“Despite the superior healthcare facilities in this State, the COVID-19 deaths were quite alarming. It is possible that the worst may have been averted and the dedication of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers, both in the private and the public sectors, helped arrest the second surge and the casualties, but there is no doubt that a clear policy in such regard requires to be spelt out,” the Bench said.
It said a comprehensive study should be undertaken to ascertain what would be the adequate number of beds across the State and across districts and whether private participation could be invited with the State by overseeing the same.
Pointing out that the healthcare system differed from State to State, the judges said Kerala and Punjab had fewer beds in government hospitals than those in private institutions whereas other States had an overwhelming number of beds in government hospitals but without adequate infrastructure.
Stating that international models could be looked into, the Bench said Germany did not have government-controlled hospitals and all beds in that country were under private healthcare system but the overall system was monitored and checks and balances were put in place.
The judges expressed their mind in an interim order passed by them on a public interest litigation petition which complained of substandard food being provided to patients in the Corona wards in government hospitals.
Concurring with the litigant, the court wrote: “The diet dished out at government hospitals leaves a lot to be desired. There are the usual suspicions that are aroused pertaining to the award of contracts for supply of food, whether cooked or uncooked, to government hospitals. Sometimes the rates are abysmally low and contractors use their access to hospitals and exploit the same by quoting lower rates than the calorific content of the diet would warrant.”
The Bench wanted the government to spell out during the next hearing as to how it had planned to improve the quality of food served in government hospitals.
