Delhi High Court to hear plea of dead coronavirus COVID-19 patient demanding bed in hospital

New Delhi: A petition moved by an 80-year-old COVID-19 patient in Delhi, praying for a bed in some government hospital with a ventilator facility, has been listed for hearing in the Delhi High Court on Friday (June 6, 2020). Ironically, before the court could pass any order, the patient succumbed to his illness on Thursday. 

The petition which was moved on June 2, states that the patient fell ill on May 25 after which he was taken to a private hospital where he was kept adjacent to a coronavirus infected patient. In the petition, the patient further alleges that he caught infection due to the negligence of the said hospital. Due to serious illness, the patient was put on the ventilator.

The plea adds that after this, the hospital started pressurizing the family to shift the patient to some other hospital as they lacked facilities to treat COVID-19 patients. The patient then approached Rajiv Gandhi Hospital, AIIMS,  MAX Hospital at Patparganj, Gangaram Hospital and Apollo Hospital but all these hospitals denied admission to the patient for want of vacant beds, the plea said.

The patient also said that he was from the BPL category, adding that the private hospital had been charging exorbitantly. The petitioner had requested for free medical treatment under the BPL category. 

Though listed for hearing today, it is ought to stand infructuous in the event of the death of the patient, said Advocate RPS Bhatti, who is an advocate for the petitioner. The irony is that the patient died just a day before he could be heard for justice.