PIL in Bombay HC seeks measures to ensure milk supply for patients in civic hospitals

A division bench of acting Chief Justice Sanjay V Gangapurwala and Justice Sandeep V Marne was hearing a PIL by one Rizwan Nisar Ahmed Khan, filed through advocate Mayur Faria.

Khan, who claimed to be a social activist in his PIL filed on January 19, said that thousands of patients/infants in such hospitals are deprived of milk required for their treatment and the state government and the BMC Health department are not taking the issue seriously, therefore certain action has to be directed against the responsible officials.

Khan said that one of his friend’s children was admitted to the BYL Nair Hospital for treatment and the child’s parent was asked to get his own milk. After enquiring with the hospital, the hospital staff said that there was shortage of milk for many days as the BMC had stopped supplying milk to hospitals. The problem still persists, Faria submitted. Thereafter, Khan asked Faria to file a RTI plea regarding the shortage of milk in civic hospitals, but it received no response, according to the plea.

“The shortage of supply of milk to the hospitals directly affects the patients and the same can be a matter of life and death. It is a denial of basic human right by denying the right of adequate food, which is essential and required by such a person,” the plea claimed.

After the BMC’s counsel sought time to take instructions to respond to the plea, the bench granted the same and posted the matter for further hearing to February 28.