Max Hospital urges revocation of licence cancellation order

New Delhi: Delhi's Shalimar Bagh-located Max Super Speciality Hospital on Wednesday said they have appealed to the authorities concerned to revoke cancellation of their licence.

The appeal comes nearly a week after the Delhi government cancelled the 250-bedded health institution's registration licence after its doctors on November 30 declared a newborn premature baby as dead even though he was alive.

"Following the due process of law, we have filed an appeal with the appropriate authorities against cancellation of registration of Max Hospital Shalimar Bagh," said the hospital in a statement. 

Stating that earlier they had also requested the Delhi government to review their decision and restore the registration, the hospitals said the licence cancellation had caused significant inconvenience to thousands of patients and local residents who did not have suitable alternatives for their medical needs in the vicinity. 

"Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh on a monthly basis treats around 14,000 patients in the OPD, attends to over 1,600 emergency patients and additional 3,000 are treated in in-patient wards.

"In compliance of the cancellation order, not only did we have to turn down the OPD and new IPD (cases), but planned procedures such as 171 chemotherapies, 63 surgeries and 241 dialysis sessions had to be cancelled, rescheduled or transferred," said the hospital. 

"In the interest of public welfare, we urge the government to reconsider their decision of cancelling the hospital's registration," the statement read.

Through its cancellation order dated December 8, which came after a three-member panel submitted a report to Health Minister Satyendar Jain, the Delhi government restrained the hospital from admitting any more new patients and put a stop to all outpatient treatment services and laboratory testing on the premises with immediate effect.

The 22-week premature baby boy was declared dead by the hospital on November 30 and handed over to the parents in a plastic bag, along with his still-born sister. However, the baby showed physical movements while being taken for burial. The baby was then admitted in north Delhi's Agarwal Nursing Home but died on December 6.