The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to submit a comprehensive plan outlining immediate and long-term measures to upgrade facilities across newly established medical colleges and halt the practice of moving critically ill patients from one hospital to another.
A division bench comprising Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Manjive Shukla instructed the Additional Chief Secretary for Medical Health and Family Welfare to draft and present the proposed framework. Alongside the roadmap, the judges called for an account of the share of the state budget dedicated to medical infrastructure and healthcare services.
Inquiry Ordered Into Death of Sultanpur Newborn
The judicial directions arose during the hearing of a public interest litigation filed by Ashutosh Kumar Singh in connection with the death of a newborn infant. The child, who suffered from an acute medical condition requiring urgent intervention, had been moved from Sultanpur to Lucknow and subsequently shuttled between King George’s Medical University, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences, and the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences.
Addressing the circumstances of the fatality, the bench instructed the state administration to carry out an impartial inquiry into the episode and submit its findings within 15 days. The court specified that the inquiry must include the official statement of the infant’s family. The bench observed that should the investigation uncover administrative or medical failures, it would consider establishing accountability and awarding financial compensation to the bereaved family for any official negligence.
Bench Proposes Centralised Digital Referrals and Better Patient Guidance
The court underscored that the infant’s death highlighted systemic shortcomings extending well beyond the failure to secure timely treatment in an isolated instance. The bench noted that even if a medical transfer from Sultanpur to a tertiary facility in the state capital was unavoidable, the transport ambulance should have carried the equipment necessary to manage a critical patient.
To prevent critical transit delays and redundant hospital visits, the judges proposed instituting an online referral mechanism. Under such a system, transferring hospitals would verify bed and treatment capacity with the receiving institution prior to dispatching patients. The bench further highlighted the necessity of stationing qualified personnel across prominent state-run healthcare centres to direct patients and their attendants.
Department Heads and Doctors Summoned for October Hearing
Proceedings in the matter have been listed for October 1. The court directed the Additional Chief Secretary for Medical Education, along with medical practitioners from King George’s Medical University, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences, and the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences who are familiar with the infant’s case, to participate in the upcoming hearing via video conference.
