‘Delhi Hospitals Can’t Deny Treatment To Non-Residents’

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, who is Chairperson of Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), on Monday directed authorities in NCT of Delhi to ensure that treatment is not denied to any patient on grounds “of being a non-resident of the national capital”.

The order by the LG, which also directed all government and private hospitals and nursing homes to cater to the needs of the patients, came a day after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that hospitals in Delhi, except those run by the Centre, will only be available for residents of the national capital in the view of rising COVID-19 cases here.

“The undersigned in his capacity as the Chairperson of the DDMA, hereby directs departments and authorities concerned of NCT of Delhi to ensure that medical treatment is not denied to any patient on the ground of not being a resident of Delhi,” the order said.

“All government and private hospitals and nursing homes situated in the NCT of Delhi have to extend medical facilities to all COVID-19 patients coming for monitoring/treatment without any discrimination of being resident or non-resident of NCT of Delhi,” it added.

The order said that the Supreme Court had “invariably held” in several judgements that the “Right to Health is an integral part of Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.”

Kejriwal had said that private hospitals in Delhi will also only treat patients from national capital except for those which provide treatment that is not available anywhere in the country. (ANI)