In a setback for Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, here on Monday, overruled his decision that Delhi government hospitals would treat only the residents of the city.
Baijal said the “treatment should not be denied to any patient on grounds of being a non-resident”.
Over-ruling Kejriwal’s order, Baijal cited a Delhi High Court ruling and said, “The Delhi High Court in a writ petition ‘Social Jurist, a Civil Rights Group versus GNCTD and Another’ after examining constitutional provisions in details, especially Article 14 and 21, after looking at jurisprudence in this regard, has held that denying patients medical treatment on ground of not being resident of NCT of Delhi is impermissible.”
The L-G’s order has come a day after Kejriwal said the Delhi government hospitals would be available for the citizens of the city only, while those run by the central government would remain open for all.
He also said private hospitals, except those where surgeries like neurosurgery, are performed would also be kept reserved for Delhi residents.
Meanwhile, Kejriwal will not attend the meeting of State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) tomorrow due to poor health. The meeting will discuss whether the coronavirus has spread at the community level in Delhi. In absence of chief minister Kejriwal, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia will chair the meeting.
Sisodia said, “Corona cases are on the increase in Delhi. SDMA will meet to discuss the status of coronavirus infection in the Capital. If corona has reached the level of community dispersal in Delhi, then what will be the strategy to fight it? Some experts with all data have been called for the meeting tomorrow.”
Kejriwal is reportedly not feeling well as he is suffering from sore throat and fever. He will be examined for corona infection tomorrow. The chief minister has isolated himself and will be unable to attend the meeting.
Sisodia said Arvind Kejriwal has insisted that the SDMA meeting be held tomorrow, “authorising me to attend the meeting on behalf of the Delhi government.”
“If the experts at the SDMA meeting decide that there has been community spread in Delhi, the whole strategy of fighting corona in Delhi will have to be changed,” he added.
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