LI Network
Published on: October 8, 2023 at 19:38 IST
The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court has issued a stay on the suspension of Sanjay Gandhi Hospital’s license in Amethi.
Justices Vivek Chaudhary and Manish Kumar, presiding over the bench, made this decision, emphasizing that the entire hospital cannot be rendered non-operational due to a single incident of alleged medical negligence while an inquiry is ongoing.
The court stated, “In the given circumstances, keeping a hospital dysfunctional during the pendency of an inquiry in the case of a single incidence of medical negligence also goes against the interest of the public at large. This is not a case where a large number of patients suffered, and negligence occurred repeatedly. Therefore, to balance the interest of the public at large and also maintain fairness in the inquiry, the impugned orders, whereby the suspension is ordered bearing order No.3808 dated 18.09.2023 and order of suspension No.3813 dated 18.09.2023, are stayed.”
The petitioner’s counsel argued that the hospital had been operating for the past 40 years in District Amethi without any significant incidents. They contended that the registration of the hospital should not be canceled and its operations should not be halted based on one unfortunate event. It was stressed that, given Amethi’s small size, the petitioner’s hospital is the primary healthcare facility serving the local population. Suspending the hospital’s license would have severe implications for the public.
In contrast, the respondent’s counsel defended the suspension, citing a patient’s loss of life due to alleged improper treatment at the hospital.
The court acknowledged the seriousness of the allegation and the need for authorities to conduct an inquiry. However, it also recognized the critical role that medical services play in small cities. The court noted that medical services in smaller cities require significant improvement, given the limited number of hospitals and doctors available.
As a result, the court stayed the suspension of the hospital’s registration and allowed the Chief Medical Officer/Chief Medical Superintendent to provide additional guidelines to the petitioner’s hospital to ensure proper operations and prevent similar incidents in the future.