New Delhi: AIIMS on Friday told Delhi High Court that it has provided land to Dusib to erect about 80 night shelters for families of patients forced to sleep on the streets amid the cold wave. It assured the court that it will construct a 3,000-bed rest house to house such people.
Responding to a notice from the high court about steps being taken to ensure the kin and attendants of poor patients are not left to fend for themselves in the winter chill, AIIMS submitted that it has adopted several steps for immediate respite.The bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia was reviewing the progress after the court took suo motu cognisance of a news report on the “pitiable condition” of patients and their kin while they awaited treatment.Advocate Satya Ranjan Swain, representing AIIMS, told the court that the institute accepts donations to increase its capacity. The bench then called upon the Delhi High Court Bar Association to raise funds for the proposed revamp of Vishram Sadan at AIIMS, recalling donations made by the Bar during the Punjab floods.The court asked all authorities to cooperate with AIIMS, adding that it expected the facility to be constructed “within minimum time possible”. On Wednesday, the court underscored that in a welfare state, it was the bounden duty of a govt to provide adequate shelter to those awaiting treatment in hospitals, particularly AIIMS, RML Hospital, Lady Hardinge, Safdarjung Trauma Centre and Vardhman Mahavir Medical College, and directed the authorities to provide adequate night shelter to meet the current exigency caused by the cold wave.During the hearing, Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (Dusib) said 20 pagoda tents were set up near AIIMS and Safdarjung, and more would be erected by the evening. Twenty tents each were also erected near RML and Lady Hardinge, the Dusib counsel added.Delhi Police counsel said nodal officers were appointed for 24X7 monitoring, while NDMC said it is providing amenities such as water and portable toilets. Appreciating the steps taken, the court said: “We have a feeling that in the last two days, the situation has improved” and “efforts from all concerned are being made in right earnest to address the problem faced by homeless attendants of patients in and around the hospitals”.The court said it expected the nodal officers of all agencies to be on “constant vigil” to address any deficiencies, and ordered another meeting of stakeholders under the chairmanship of the principal district judge, south, on Jan 24. The matter will be heard next on Jan 27.
