Provide shelter to outstation non-COVID patients being treated at AIIMS: HC to Delhi govt

The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) to ensure that accommodation is provided to all outstation non-COVID patients who are here for treatment at the AIIMS.

A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rajnish Bhatnagar also expressed hope that the outpatient department (OPD) of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) would be reopened, at least in limited manner, in the next two weeks.

The court also appreciated that AIIMS was distributing medicines to all the patients under its treatment from its pharmacy and said, "such disbursement should continue without endorsement in respect of the prescribed medicines for the duration for which the prescription is made".

The bench directed the DUSIB to that ensure accommodation is provided to the outstation non-COVID patients and their attendants at the night shelter opposite AIIMS or at nearby Gargi School or Pratibha School.

The directions came on two PILs which claimed that several outstation non-COVID patients who had come here for treatment at AIIMS were not being treated there and medicines also were not being distributed from the hospital's pharmacy.

The bench disposed of one of the two PILs, which wanted disbursement of free of cost medicines from AIIMS pharmacy to non-COVID patients it was treating, after the hospital said its pharmacy was active.

The other petition seeking treatment and shelter for the outstation patients and their attendants has been listed for May 22.