HC: Ensure govt staff avail medical care from state-run hosps
ALLAHABAD: The Allahabad high court on Friday directed the state government to ensure that all government employees and officials, who received salary or other financial gains from the government/public exchequer, avail medical care services from government hospitals.
The court directive was aimed at ending the apathy of officials towards government hospitals and improving their condition.
The high court also directed the director general, vigilance, UP to constitute special teams to find out medical officers of the state government, who were engaged in private practice or were running hospitals, nursing homes etc and to register FIRs against them.
Hearing a PIL by one Sneh Lata Singh, alleging pathetic condition of the government hospitals in the state, a division bench comprising of justice Sudhir Agrawal and justice Ajit Kumar passed the directive after hearing all sides.
The court also directed that VIPs should not be given any special treatment if they were availing medical facilities from government hospitals.
It made it clear that if medical care was obtained in private hospitals, the government must not reimburse the employees for it.
However, the court made it clear that in case of those diseases, treatment of which is not available in government hospitals, the above condition would not apply.
The court directed immediate steps to fill up vacancies of medical, para-medical and other attending staff in government hospitals in the state.
It ordered audit of state medical colleges through comptroller and auditor general of India (CAG) with regard to alleged mismanagement in hospitals, funds made available and the expenditure thereof.
Taking serious note of the filing of a false affidavit in the case, the court issued notice to Rajneesh Dubey, principal secretary, medical education, Uttar Pradesh government and Dr SP Singh, principal, Medical College, Allahabad to show cause as to why action be not initiated against them.
The court directed the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary to supervise and comply with the directions of the court.
THE HC ALSO DIRECTED DG, VIGILANCE, UP TO CONSTITUTE SPECIAL TEAMS TO FIND OUT MEDICAL OFFICERS OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT, WHO WERE ENGAGED IN PRIVATE PRACTICE AND REGISTER FIRS AGAINST THEM