Madurai: The Madras high Court bench here on Tuesday dismissed the plea filed by the wife of a relative of Sasikala Natarajan, estranged aide of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, to shift her husband to a private hospital, saying the petitioner had not made out a case for shifting him.
However, Justice K.K.Sasidharan directed the Assistant surgeon attached to the central prison hospital to examine Divakaran everyday and in case he required assistance of specialists, he should immediately inform the the Dean of the
Government Medical college hospital, Tiruchi.
"In case the remand prisoner complained of any kind of illness and the duty doctor is of the opinion that immediate Hospitalisation was necessary, he should be taken to the Medical college hospital," the judge said.
Referring to the contention that the Government ambulance was ill-equipped ,the Judge said the dean had stated that the ambulance was well-equipped.
The Prison Superintendent should ensure that the jail doctor was on duty on rotation basis throughout day and night. Fully-equipped ambulance also should
be kept ready, the judge said.
The medical college hospital dean in his report said the Jail hospital was well-equipped and specialist treatment was also available to the prisoners.
Divakaran had been arrested in connection with a land grabbing case and for allegedly demolishing a person`s house.
His wife Hemalatha had submitted that police registered cases against Divakaran, arrested and remanded him to judicial custody on February 2 this year. Her husband was innocent and a case had been filed against him for political reasons, she had said.
In her petition, she sought to shift her husband to a private speciality hospital as he had undergone heart surgery in 1998 and had ’neuro problems.`
The Judge said the head of the Neurology department of the Government hospital had stated that he did not have any neuro problem. Besides the team which inspected Divakaran had also said he maintained normal health.
PTI
