Treat Accident Victims or Lose License: Delhi Govt to Hospitals

The Delhi government aims to tackle hospital apathy in refusing healthcare to critical patients by warning of punitive measures. 

(Photo: iStockphoto)

Imagine the sinking helplessness when you have suffered an accident and rush to a hospital, only to discover you have been turned away due to overcrowding or technical glitches or some other excuse?

It’s a hard reality we must acknowledge – many hospitals have turned away patients in need of critical care, and this often leads to their untimely death.

Hoping to curb this unfair treatment comes a new warning from the Delhi government that demands private hospitals treat all victims of road accidents, acid attacks and fires or they risk losing their medical license, reports India Times.

Delhi Govt Will Bear Cost of Treatment: Kejriwal

For patients in need of critical care, timely medical assistance is crucial as the first few hours could mean the difference between life and death.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal told representatives from around 150 private hospitals at a meeting that the government would cancel the practicing license of any hospital that does not adhere to the warning, added the report.

“It is said that the first hour is extremely critical for accident and burn injury victims and if medical help is provided to them during this time, their lives can be saved. The Delhi government had implemented this scheme keeping in mind this fact.”

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal 

Kejriwal added that previous supreme court and Delhi High Court orders specified that any hospital the victim of a burn injury or accident goes to, must compulsorily provide free treatment.

He further said that their government had a similar scheme in place since February 2018 where they would reimburse burn, acid attack or accident victim’s treatment costs. According to Kejriwal, this scheme saved 2,501 victims. He added that such a beneficial scheme should be implemented again in the new government.

However, despite schemes and orders in place, Kejriwal noted that many private hospitals were not complying – although he was assured that they would do so henceforth.

(With inputs from India Times )