Medical evacuation flights permitted since Apr 20, HC tells Centre

The Centre has told the Delhi High Court that medical evacuation flights have been permitted since April 20 subject to the conditions that no more than two attendants accompany the patient and the state government gives its no objection.

The submission was made by the Civil Aviation Ministry before Justice V Kameswar Rao during the hearing, via video conferencing, on a man's plea seeking permission to take his wife for cancer treatment to Chennai.

The man had also sought reimbursement of the treatment costs under the Delhi Government Health Scheme (DGHS).

On the reimbursement aspect, Delhi government additional standing counsel Gautam Narayan told the court that a committee was set up to examine the instant case and it has concluded that reimbursement of costs was not possible as hospital -- Apollo Proton Cancer Centre -- in question was not on the panel of DGHS or CGHS.

On the patient's travel to Chennai by air ambulance, Narayan told the court that a no objection letter would be issued by the Delhi government.

Taking note of the submissions, the court directed Delhi government to issue the letter by Friday and listed the matter for hearing on August 14 with regard to the issue of reimbursement.

The court also asked the Centre to check whether the hospital in question was empanelled under the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS).

According to the petitioner, his wife is suffering from carcinoma and has been advised proton therapy at the hospital in Chennai and he had forwarded to the Delhi government all the details, including estimated costs, for grant of requisite permission for the treatment.

However, as he received no response, he had to approach the court, he has said in his plea.

He has also said that as his wife needs the treatment at the earliest, he is willing to travel to Chennai and bear the therapy costs, but it should be reimbursed later in accordance with the health scheme rules.