New Delhi: The Supreme Court has held that it cannot direct the government to make arrangements for security in private hospitals.
The apex couth made the observation on Monday while hearing a plea seeking guidelines to have a security system for the protection of doctors and healthcare workers in private hospitals.
A bench of Justices S.K.Kaul and A.S.Oka said the Private Hospitals charge a lot and are able to manage the security problems on their own.
Senior Advocate Vijay Hansaria, representing the Delhi Medical Association, said the healthcare professionals and doctors are at risk of attack and stressed the need to have an effective security mechanism.
The court refused to entertain the plea in its present form, observing that the petition lacks particulars and it’s not inclined to entertain the ‘all-encompassing prayers’
With regard to government hospitals, the court observed that security is being provided.
However, counsel appearing for the petitioner submitted in some districts, even in government hospitals security mechanism is not provided.
The court, therefore, asked the petitioner to submit some materials in this regard and amend the prayers in the petition accordingly. The case will be taken up after the prayers are amended.
In response to Senior Advocate Vijay Hansaria’s submission that it’s the government’s duty to provide security, Justice Kaul remarked, “Many hospitals are private ones. How’s the government to provide for security?”
The bench said that the attack on doctors is unjust and that whenever attacks occur it is because of a certain flaw in the system in place.
The court said that the provision of security to a government hospital is an executive decision, and it’s not the responsibility of the court to decide this.
The DMA demanded directions to provide adequate security in hospitals and medical centers to avoid attacks on healthcare professionals by family members of patients and other individuals.
The complaint was filed through the advocate Sneha Kalita.