Summary:
NAINITAL: The Uttarakhand high court has directed all health institutions in the state to treat accident victims and emergency cases without insisting that an FIR be registered. The court requested the union ministry of health and family welfare to release the special health package to hill states to maintain and improve public health. We also direct that army hospitals, private hospitals and private clinics shall also render medical assistance to the accident victims/emergency cases according to their constitutional duty.”Commenting that three hospitals in Nainital i.e. The court said that medical assistance should be rendered to accident victims as it was their constitutional duty.In its order, the division bench of justice Rajiv Sharma and justice LokPal Singh stated, “There shall be a direction to all the sub-district/sub divisional hospitals, special centres, primary health centres (PHCs), community health centres, district hospitals, tertiary hospitals to treat accident victims and other emergency cases without insisting for registration of FIR. B DPandey (Male) Government District Hospital, B D Pandey (Female) Government District Hospital and GB Pant Hospital (earlier known as Ramsay Hospital) are not functioning as per norms, the court directed the state government to establish trauma centres with essential equipment in every district hospital within three months.The court also asked the state hospitals to appoint doctors, nurses, para-medical staff, administrators etc as per Indian Public Health Standards within six months in hospitals, said Vipul Sharma, counsel for the petitioner.The petitioner Deepak Rubali had alleged that BD Pandey Government Hospital in Nainital lacked the necessary infrastructure.The court also said that it was aware of the financial crunch faced by Uttarakhand and said that it was the duty of the Centre to provide a special health package to hilly states to maintain and improve public health..