HC asks AIIMS to review plea of lone medical shop on campus

Delhi High Court today directed AIIMS to reconsider a pharma firm's plea for extension of licence to continue to run the lone medical shop on the hospital campus which provides medicines at substantially discounted rates.
A bench of Justice V K Jain directed AIIMS to reconsider the plea of All India Medicos for extension of lease to run the chemist store for further one year and pass speaking orders.
It also directed the institution not to take any coercive step against the firm, which has been asked to vacate the premises.
The order of the high court came on a petition filed by All India Medicos, a pharma company which had moved the court against unjust and unfair acts of AIIMS in not replying to its representations for extension of soon-to-expire two year lease/licence to run the chemist shop inside its premises.

The firm had sought direction to AIIMS and the Ministry of Urban and Poverty Alleviation to extend its licence to run the chemist shop in the hospital premises.
The firm's counsel Anil Verma said its representation for extension was rejected by AIIMS without giving any reason only after the company had moved high court and even when it has a good record as no complaint has been made against its products or prices by the patients or doctors.
"There is no other shop within/inside the premises of AIIMS and the poor and needy patients have to go outside to purchase the medicines which is approximately 500 metre away from the hospital complex," Verma claimed.