Sir Ganga Ram Hosp gets show-caused for allegedly 'denying' care to EWS patients

New Delhi: The Directorate General of Health Services in Delhi has now issued a show-cause notice to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital — a private healthcare facility — on allegations that it purportedly denied treatment to patients from Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).

According to those aware of developments, the show-cause notice was issued after the DGHS received several complaints of the hospital allegedly violating provisions of the Delhi Nursing Homes Registrations (Amendment) Rules of 2011. The authorities first sent a list of questions to the hospital over the complaints and when it found the replies to be unsatisfactory, it issued the show-cause notice.

The Delhi DGHS invoked Clause 14.1 of the Schedule appended to Rule 14 of the Delhi Nursing Homes Registration (Amendment) Rules, 2011.

Significantly, Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Karol Bagh, Vishesh Ravi has been pursuing the matter of hospitals denying treatment to EWS patients for several years. Officials associated with his office have said that he has been writing letters about and highlighting the alleged violation of EWS rules by Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

One instance that the MLA highlighted was that even when 95 per cent of 68 beds reserved for EWS patients were lying vacant, the hospital would allegedly deny admission to EWS patients.

In addition, the Karol Bagh MLA has noted that the hospital has not permitted the government Liaison officer to manage the affairs pertaining to EWS patients at the hospital.

Ravi added that non-treatment of EWS category patients at the hospital (poor treatment of EWS patients if treated at all), multiple unnecessary hurdles faced by the EWS patients for the EWS card renewal, merging of the Hospital's charitable trust's patients with EWS category to refuse treatment to eligible EWS patients and refusal of treatment to EWS category patients citing COVID as an excuse were among the several alleged irregularities in the hospital's treatment of EWS category patients.

In a statement, issued after the DGHS notice was sent, Vishash Ravi said that this strictly emphasises that the hospital has "shown dereliction of its responsibility towards EWS patients by not complying with DGHS guidelines on treating EWS patients".

Ravi went on to add that the hospital should not look down upon any EWS category patient. He said that the show-cause notice being issued must be made into a deterrent for other private hospitals who discriminate against patients of the EWS category for medical

treatment.