The Telangana High Court has recently taken up a suo motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to examine the systemic safety and staffing lapses in government hospitals, pursuant to incidents of infrastructure failure in state-run medical facilities including a fire which broke out in a government hospital's Newborn Care Unit. 

This, after the Chief Justice of India Surya Kant referred a letter written by a lawyer on the issue to the Acting Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court.

The reference, currently before the Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice P. Sam Koshy and Justice Suddala Chalapathi Rao, was based on a report/letter submitted by Hyderabad-based advocate Nallapu Manideep raising concerns over violations of Article 21.

When the matter was taken up on 05.11.2026, the Advocate General for the State, the Standing Counsel for the Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad (TVVP), and the Deputy Solicitor General of India for the Union appeared in the case. The Court has now posted the matter to 16.11.2026 to enable the respondents to file their counters.

The suo motu PIL stems from two incidents of alleged infrastructure failure in state-run medical facilities in September 2026. For context, on 20.09.2026, portions of concrete and false ceiling collapsed in the Aarogyasri ward of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Hospital in Warangal. The collapse allegedly resulted in injuries to a paralysed patient, two attendants, and sanitation staff.

Following this incident, on 21.09.2026, a fire broke out in the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Adilabad, reportedly sparked by an air-conditioner short circuit. This incident led to the deaths of three critically ill new-borns, whereas the staff evacuated 28 other infants.

On 23.09.2026, Adv. N. Manideep addressed a letter to the Chief Justice of India, requesting to take suo motu cognizance of the incidents. According to the lawyer, the infrastructure failures raised a larger constitutional question of whether a citizen entering a government hospital is entitled to medical treatment alone. It was further stated that such patients are also entitled to reasonably safe premises, functioning safety systems, and sufficient trained personnel.

Accordingly, the Chief Justice of India subsequently addressed a letter to the Acting Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court. By a subsequent order, the Acting Chief Justice permitted the Registry to register the two incidents as a PIL.

Relying on the Supreme Court's judgment in Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity v. State of West Bengal, (1996) 4 SCC 37, it was submitted that the State cannot cite financial constraints to evade the constitutional duties to ensure essential safeguards in the hospital.s

The PIL, therefore, seeks a comprehensive assessment of government hospitals across the state, including sanctioned and working strength of medical and paramedical staff, functional beds and ICUs, essential equipment, fire and electrical safety arrangements, and the structural condition of ageing buildings.

Other prayers include seeking a complete official inquiry and technical report regarding the RIMS Adilabad fire and the MGM Hospital Warangal structural collapse,a comprehensive state-wide report on the safety, infrastructure, and functioning of government hospitals, and a time-bound corrective plan fixing responsibility, timelines, and funding, with particular attention to SNCUs, NICUs, ICUs, and maternity wards.

The PIL also seeks appropriate compensation, continuing medical treatment, and rehabilitation for the affected persons or families by the alleged infrastructure failure, along with a continuing monitoring mechanism to ensure lasting improvement in the facilities.