Delhi HC asks AAP govt to file response over implementation of Health Bill 2019
Jan 06, 2021
New Delhi [India], January 6 : The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the AAP-led government to file its response over a plea seeking direction to ensure the immediate implementation of the Health Bill 2019 of the Government of Delhi or the Clinical Establishment Act 2010.
The plea states that illegal pathological labs are unrestrainedly thriving in the absence of any regulation across the national capital, which poses a threat to the safety of common citizens.
The division Bench of Justice DN Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh on Wednesday adjourned the hearing till January 29 on account of the death of the father of the Delhi government's counsel.
However, the court asked the government to file its reply to the petition.
The application was filed by activist Bejon Kumar Misra through advocates Shashak Deo Sudhi, Bijender P Kumar and Dinesh Dakoria.
The plea claims that illegal and unauthorized pathological laboratories are being operated without any kind of checks and balances endangering the lives and safety of the common people of Delhi.
"The High Court, in its order dated November 30, 2018, had directed the respondents to take appropriate action in terms of directions and guidelines issued by the Supreme Court. However, the respondents had not taken any serious step towards containing those illegal and unauthorized pathological laboratories and diagnostic centers and the vulnerable citizens are still falling prey to the fake and false reports leading to serious health repercussions including death in many cases," the plea stated.
It also mentioned a report about pathological laboratories and diagnostic centers where a practicing doctor with his associate was running a racket of giving fake Covid-19 testing reports and had been subsequently arrested by the police.
"The accused doctor had forged the Covid-19 testing report of more than 75 patients. Similar news reports about illegal pathological laboratories and diagnostic centers are surfacing daily in various newspapers showing the plight of the vulnerable citizens being subjected to manipulation by the fake syndicate of ghost pathologists distributing fake diagnostic reports across the national capital territory of Delhi," the plea added.
The applicant also alleged that the Delhi government has not made any efforts towards the regulation of illegal pathological laboratories and diagnostic centers that are being run illegally and which do not meet the norms and are without qualified pathologists.
