Chhattisgarh High Court Flags Shortcomings In Medical Services Across State, Seeks Affidavit On Steps To Provide Better Facilities

The Chhattisgarh High Court has flagged multiple shortcomings in the available medical and healthcare facilities in various hospitals across the State, particularly in terms of shortage of doctors, overcrowded hospitals, non-availability of reagents, and absence of adequate night-duty staff.Referring to affidavits submitted by the Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, a Division Bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Bibhu Datta Guru observed,“… though it is stated there are sufficient Doctors, but some posts are lying vacant and further there appears to be over crowding of the patients in the hospitals. The Reagents are also being not supplied, because of which, the tests could not be performed. It is also evident that the medical facility during night is not possible, though some alternative arrangements has been made. Considering the fact that though the State had made efforts for providing better medical facilities, but it appears to be too short looking to the number of patients visiting the said hospitals, we hope and trust that the State would take more initiative for providing better medical facilities to the hospitals of the State.”BackgroundThe Court had earlier taken serious note of the shoddy and substandard conditions prevailing in government hospitals across the State, particularly in the capital city of Raipur and had directed the Secretary, Health Department, to file a personal affidavit.In his affidavit, the Secretary informed that the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Block Bilha was a 50-bedded facility along with a Maternal Child Hospital, in which there were a total of 9 sanctioned posts of Specialist Doctors, of which 3 were working and 6 posts lay vacant. Similarly, the sanctioned 3 posts of Post-Graduate Medical Officer Class-II also lay vacant. Only 1 Medical Officer and 1 Dentist from the National Health Mission were working. In addition to this, as against the sanctioned 6 posts of Medical Officers, the total number of Medical staff was 20. It was further informed that the X-Ray machine and Hamar Lab, which were reported to be non-functional, were fully operational– with the X-Ray machine conducting 426 X-rays in July and the Hamar Lab conducting 32 out of 50 parameters on a routine basis. However, the supply of reagents was halted and alternative arrangements for purchase of reagents were locally made so that all necessary pathology tests could be conducted on a routine basis. As the post of Anesthetist was also lying vacant, emergency and night operations were not possible.With respect to the Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Memorial Hospital, and DKS Hospital, it was informed that the number of patients visiting the hospitals was very large and that there was an efficient registration counter in the Hospitals and no patient had come forward complaining about delay in registration or treatment.Against this backdrop, the Court observed that though efforts to alleviate the standards of medical healthcare were taken by the State, they were falling short in light of the number of patients visiting the said hospitals. The Court also observed that “the affidavits filed by the Secretary do not speak about supply of unhygienic/rusted surgical blades all over the State.”Accordingly, the Court directed the Secretary to take "appropriate steps for providing better facilities" and to file a detailed affidavit mentioning the steps taken in that regard. It further directed Chhattisgarh Medical Services Corporation Limited (CGMS) to file an affidavit and supply requisite kits to the hospital of the State so that the patients, who are visiting the hospital, would get better facilities.The matter is now listed on September 17, 2025.Case Details:Case Number: WPPIL No. 27 of 2024Case Title: In the Matter of Suo Moto Public Interest Litigation v. The State Of Chhattisgarh & OthersClick Here To Read/Download Order

Chhattisgarh High Court Flags Shortcomings In Medical Services Across State, Seeks Affidavit On Steps To Provide Better Facilities

Saahas Arora

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