NEW DELHI: It is “strange” that Delhi govt does not want financial aid through a centrally-funded health scheme when hospitals under it are “in such a mess”, Delhi High Court said on Wednesday. It was hearing a PIL filed by all seven BJP MPs demanding the implementation of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) in the national capital.
“In this sort of mess, you are not accepting central aid, you have no money for the healthcare system, your hospitals are not complete, and machines are not working, but you don’t want to accept aid, very strange,” a bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela remarked.
“Today you are refusing Rs 5 lakh for the citizens. We are shocked. You may have a difference of opinion, but in this case, you are refusing aid. None of your machines are working. The machines have to work, but you have no money actually,” it pointed out, saying, “Prima facie, we don’t feel you are taking a proper stand.”
In their PIL, the MPs said Delhi was the only Union Territory where the beneficial healthcare scheme for the underprivileged was yet to be implemented, therefore, depriving them of the essential health coverage of Rs 5 lakh. “I have been saying openly in court that you are virtually bankrupt. Your health minister and health secretary are not talking to each other. In that sort of a mess, you are not accepting central aid,” the Chief Justice remarked.
He deferred the hearing to Thursday to enable the Delhi govt counsel to go through the plea, which he said seemed to be “misconceived”.
The court said the central scheme was just an aid being given to a particular segment of citizens and steps must be taken to iron out the differences within the Delhi administration. It also expressed its anguish over the non-completion of several upcoming hospitals due to a lack of funds. It highlighted that the court was getting petitions by legislators every day with respect to their grievances allegedly not being addressed, which was “not good”.
The petitioners – Harsh Malhotra, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, Praveen Khandelwal, Yogendra Chandolia, Manoj Tiwari, Kamaljeet Sehrawat and Bansuri Swaraj – argued that citizens in the national capital were facing a serious issue of high out-of-pocket health and medical expenses, and several resorted to borrowing or selling assets in a medical emergency. Swaraj appeared in court on behalf of the petitioners.
Stating “clash of political ideologies must take a back seat” in the interest of the welfare of the residents of Delhi, the petitioners sought that Delhi govt implement the scheme.
“Of 36 states/UTs, 33 have implemented the scheme, and at present, Odisha government is actively considering its implementation. However, the scheme has not been implemented in Delhi uniquely and arbitrarily, depriving the target beneficiaries of the easy and efficient access to a promised cover of Rs 5 lakh, which would protect them from the catastrophic expenditure in secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation across a vast network of empanelled public and private hospitals,” the petition contended.
