DCW issues notice to Apollo, army hospitals

The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Wednesday issued notice to Indraprastha Apollo Hospital and Army Research and Referral Hospital as the Supreme Court's directive to admit acid attack victims was allegedly not adhered to by them, an official said.

The official said the action was taken after a girl, who suffered severe burns on her face in an acid attack, was referred to Delhi by a hospital in Bihar and was refused treatment by the army hospital.

She was again refused treatment by Apollo Hospital in Sarita Vihar and kept waiting there for over three hours.

The DCW official said the victim was finally admitted in Apollo Hospital only after the DCW chief intervened in the matter.

The family of the victim also asserted that the hospital, even after the intervention of the DCW, demanded Rs.3.5 lakh in advance to begin the treatment.

"The victim and her family first reached the Army Research and Referral Hospital on September 28 but were denied admission on the grounds that the victim was not a dependent member of serving personnel despite her having the dependency certificate," the DCW official said.

Calling it a "criminal lapse", the DCW directed the hospital medical superintendent to fix the responsibility of the staff and doctors and report back within 48 hours.

"This is a serious dereliction of the orders of the Supreme Court. You are hereby served a notice to provide the reason for this lapse. You are directed to submit the above information within 48 hours of receipt of this letter failing which appropriate action under law will be initiated by the commission," DCW chief Swati Maliwal said in the notice.

Beside the Supreme Court, the Delhi government recently issued a directive, wherein it asked all government and private hospitals to treat acid attack victims free of cost.