High court ends 19-year battle for Punjab teacher denied full heart surgery claim: ‘Govt should be liberal’

The court noted that Singh had been referred to the hospital through official channels after angiography revealed serious heart problems. Escorts Heart Institute was a recognised hospital for open heart surgery under a Punjab government letter issued in 1991, which also listed Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, and Apollo Hospital, Madras.

Honourable Chief Justice Mrs. Sudeepti Sharma. (Express Photo)

The key legal issue was whether medical bills could be restricted to AIIMS rates when a government employee was referred to a private hospital in an emergency. Justice Sharma ruled against such curtailment, holding that Singh was entitled to full reimbursement since the referral was made by the government and the hospital was recognised.

The judgment relied on documents showing that the referral came from the Punjab Health Systems Corporation due to the critical nature of the case. It also cited a 1995 government instruction clarifying that in life-threatening emergencies, prior approval from a medical board was not required.

The court strongly criticised the prolonged delay in resolving the case. “Before parting, this court feels at pain to decide such kind of cases after almost 19 years, which should have been decided immediately since reimbursement is involved,” the judge said. “Since 2002, he is running for the reimbursement of the amount incurred by him in his treatment and it has taken almost 19 years to decide the same.”

The court urged the government to adopt a more liberal approach in framing medical reimbursement policies, observing, “The government should be liberal in framing the policies for medical treatment and reimbursement since a person in pain is not expected to choose the hospital and would prefer the nearest one only.”