Delhi HC intervenes after 12-year-old boy denied ICU bed in government hospitals

New Delhi [India], August 29 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Friday initiated suo motu cognizance on the basis of a media report which highlighted the plight of a 12-year-old boy who was unable to secure an ICU bed in any government hospital across the city after suffering a fall from the first floor of his house.
A bench comprising Justice Prathiba M. Singh and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora noted that the child was eventually admitted to Shree Aggrasain International Hospital in Rohini after his family's desperate search for treatment at institutions, including Safdarjung Hospital, yielded no results.
The court observed that the boy's father, a daily wage worker engaged in tailoring work, was in no position to bear the cost of treatment in a private facility.
Considering the seriousness of the issue, the judges directed that the child be treated under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category at the private hospital, ensuring that no payments were demanded from the family until the next hearing.
While the bench initially considered transferring the boy to a government hospital, it refrained from doing so after being informed that the child had shown signs of improvement.
The court ordered the hospital to continue providing proper and adequate treatment without interruption.
The order was communicated to the hospital's CEO by counsel representing the Delhi Government, with directions also issued to the court registry to email the hospital directly.
Senior counsel and amicus curiae Ashok Agarwal further submitted that most private hospitals fail to extend mandated benefits to patients under the EWS quota despite their legal obligations.
The court also indicated that this larger issue would be examined in detail during subsequent hearings. The matter has been listed for further hearing on September 2, 2025. (ANI)