Withdraw order directing treatment of only Delhi residents in hospitals: Lawyer sends representation to AAP govt

New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI): A lawyer on Monday sent a representation to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government seeking withdrawal of an order that directed all Delhi government hospitals, private hospitals and nursing homes to ensure that only residents of the national capital are admitted for treatment in these medical facilities.
Advocate Gaurav Bansal, through the representation, alleged that instead of serving the poor patients lying on the roads, the Delhi government issued the "politically motivated" order to serve the "ill motives" of "echelons of power" running the government here who "for the want of cheap publicity and to remain in power" have now adopted "this pick and choose policy".
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced that hospitals in the national capital, except those run by the Centre, will only be available for people from the city in the view of rising COVID-19 cases.
The representation said that order was passed without understanding or realising the basic ground realities and the needs of the society.
"Please take note that within the national capital, there are lakhs of homeless people with mental illness who do not have any kind of identity card and are languishing on roads," the representation sent to Delhi government said.
It said that it is the fundamental duty of the Delhi government to make provisions for the treatment of mental illness as per the Mental Healthcare Act.
It also said that the Delhi government's decision has classified the patients into two categories -- Delhi patients and non-Delhi patients.
"Excluding non-Delhi patients, from availing the benefit of treatment or certain medical facilities is also an act violative of the fundamental rights of a citizen and infringes the right available to a citizen under Article 21 of the Constitution of India," the representation said.
"Further, the process of classifying patients on the basis of holding of identity is not only discriminatory, but also violates the right available to a citizen under Article 14," it added. (ANI)