Patients not denied admission to Lok Nayak: Delhi government to HC

The government, in their report filed through Additional Standing Counsel Sanjoy Ghose before a bench headed by Chief Justice D N Patel, further said the backlog with regard to the bodies are being cleared on a “war footing”.

It apprised the bench that “between May 30 and June 12, 328 bodies were received in the hospital mortuary, and 338 bodies were sent for last rites (cremation/burial), out of which 333 bodies were received by relatives (in two cases police accompanied the relatives); four bodies of unknown identity were received by police; one body was received by local MLA (Malviya Nagar).”

The matter has been adjourned for hearing on June 29, in view of the fact that the Supreme Court is seized with a similar issue.

The status report was filed in the backdrop of the court’s query on slow disposal rate of bodies.

The previous status report was filed in a PIL initiated by the High Court on its own after taking cognisance of a news report that inside the Covid-19 mortuary of Lok Nayak Hospital, there were 108 bodies — all 80 storage racks were full and 28 bodies were on the floor, piled on top of each other.

The government affidavit said, “The (NHRC) team interacted with hospital administration, doctors, staff and some attendants of patients. The team visited the emergency and the ward having beds for Covid patients. In its preliminary report, the NHRC team noted that no serious patients were denied admission, and as such only those patients are being admitted whose condition is serious; others having minor symptoms are being advised home quarantine.”

The report further said, “It was also noted that the hospital was being referred patients by various doctors without any proper protocol, which was leading to some confusion among patients…”

On the allegation that several beds were lying vacant, the hospital administration has informed the team that this was part of the requirement for the days ahead and that even additional equipment such as dialysis machines and ventilators have been kept ready for emergencies. “About 23% of doctors and paramedical staff have been kept ready for deployment on a needs basis,” it said.

The report added: “It may be noted that the NHRC team visited the emergency and other wards having beds for Covid patients, and no issue of bodies lying in corridors, or patients not being attended to has been flagged.”