Govt to sue Apollo hospital

The government counsel contended that Apollo was provided land on subsidised rates only on the condition that it would treat the poor free of cost and would also keep a certain number of the beds for them. As nobody from Apollo was present in the court to inform the Bench about its view in this regard, the bench issued a fresh notice to the hospital authorities, asking them to be present on the next date of hearing.

The bench was hearing a public interest petitionfiled by the All India lawyers Union (Delhi unit) alleging non-implementation of the agreement. The petitioner also sought a direction to the city government and Apollo hospital to reserve 30 per cent of the beds for poor patients, to be treated free. The bench asked the city government to file a reply in this regard by the next date of hearing on January 22.

notice to MCD: The Delhi High Court also issued a show-cause notice on Monday to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), on a petition seeking judicial probe into the death of a child studying in an MCD-run school. On December 27, a class VII student was crushed under a four-wheeler, while crossing the road to drink water (There was no provision for water inside the school compound). The bench was hearing a public interest litigation filed by the All India Lawyers Union (Delhi unit) through counsel Ashok Aggarwal, which alleged that MCD schools in the Capital lacked drinking water facility, proper sanitation and had shabby buildings.

The court direction came after the petitioner submitted some photographs, throwing light on the deplorable condition of the school. Seeking action against the headmaster of the school and the MCD commissioner for the boy’s death, Aggarwal sought a directive for implementing safety measures – construction of boundary walls, traffic lights and speed breakers – for the safety of students.