Road accident victim dies after private hospitals refuse emergency care

NEW DELHI: A deeply troubling case in Delhi has spotlighted alarming lapses in the enforcement of emergency medical care protocols. Aman Jha, a 26-year-old man injured in a road accident, tragically lost his life after being denied treatment by several private hospitals.

Despite clear directives under the Farishtey Scheme, a government initiative that guarantees free emergency treatment for accident victims at both public and empanelled private hospitals for the first 72 hours, Jha was repeatedly turned away.

Advocate Ashok Agarwal, a member of the Delhi High Court-appointed Free Beds Monitoring Committee, condemned the hospitals’ actions in a formal complaint to the Delhi Health Secretary.

He stated that the refusal to treat Jha not only violated the scheme’s guidelines but also breached legal provisions that allow for punitive measures, including cancellation of hospital registrations.

Agarwal accused the hospitals of placing financial interests above human life, despite being fully aware of their obligations under the law. After being denied care at multiple facilities, Jha was finally admitted to a government hospital, but by then, it was too late. He succumbed to his injuries.

Agarwal has called on the Delhi government’s Nursing Home Cell to take decisive action against the institutions involved. He stated that such negligence undermines the very foundation of emergency care policies designed to protect and preserve life. (ANI)