Chhattisgarh High Court: In a suo motu public interest litigation (‘PIL’) regarding the condition of the Bilaspur District Hospital, the Division Bench of Ramesh Sinha, CJ., and Bibhu Datta Guru, J., took note of various news reports concerning the issues faced by patients in multiple hospitals, especially AIIMS, Raipur, and directed the Secretary of Health Department, Chhattisgarh Government, to file a personal affidavit regarding the news reports.
Background
On 10-04-2024, the Court took suo motu cognizance due to a news item published in Dainik Bhaskar, which stated that thyroid testing at Bilaspur District Hospital had been closed for the last three months due to a lack of reagents. Pregnant women and other patients had to get tested outside in private labs. The hospital administration wrote letters to the Chhattisgarh Medical Services Corporation (‘CGMSC’) several times but received no response. Similarly, the Hamar Lab, established in Bilha Matru Shishu Hospital, had no pathologist for tests such as blood-urine and stool tests. Patients who came to the OPD for treatment, or testing, and even the admitted ones, were being sent to private labs outside the hospital for tests.
During the pendency of the present PIL, on 13-07-2025, a news article was published in Haribhoomi mentioning the pathetic condition prevailing in various big hospitals of the State, especially AIIMS, Raipur. In a State where the majority of the population does not have the financial capacity to afford private hospitals, the patients were facing a lot of difficulties in the Government Hospitals.
In another news article published in Navbharat newspaper on 24-07-2025, it was mentioned that the surgical blades being used in government hospitals were rusted. Further, there was a lack of surgical blades, surgical gloves, pregnancy kits, injections, and medicines.
There was a third article published in Haribhoomi on 05-08-2025, which stated that there was a lack of doctors in a Community Health Centre (‘CHC’) of Bilha Block, District Bilaspur. Out of the 15 doctors employed at the CHC, none were available on 04-08-2025 till 11:15 AM. Despite there being sufficient staff, the patients did not receive the services of the doctors and were made to stand in line from 9 AM. Additionally, the X-ray machine, which was available for the last year, was lying unused, covered with a sheet.
Analysis
Regarding the first news article, the Court noted that the situation in the State’s biggest hospital, AIIMS, Raipur, was very pathetic, as after registration of a patient, it took almost 48 hours to reach the Doctor. There were big queues, and many of the patients wasted time waiting for their turn. After check-ups, the surgeries were being done after four months, and as such, the patients were suffering unnecessarily from their ailments. For getting an X-ray done, the patients were required to wait for three long hours.
Furthermore, regarding the second news article, the Court remarked that the article portrayed a very horrific situation, and if it was true, the fate of the patients could be very well understood. The Court also noted that the news mentioned that the pregnancy kits being distributed gave faulty results. Additionally, the company that supplied the defective materials was directed not to supply any materials further, yet inferior quality surgical items and medicines were being supplied. Some of the lifesaving drugs that were being supplied were found to be of substandard quality and failed in laboratory tests.
“It raises a serious question on the functioning of the Health Department of the State as well as the Chhattisgarh Medical Services Corporation.”
As far as the news regarding the CHC was concerned, the Court noted that the Chief Medical and Health Office, Health Department, stated that there was sufficient staff in the CHC and if any dereliction of duties was found, appropriate action would be taken against the delinquent. The Court further noted that though there was a surgical ward in the CHC, the patients were scared of getting any treatment there because at night, no doctor remained present despite it being mandatory for the Doctors to be available 24 hours.
The Court remarked that lakhs of rupees had been spent for installation of ‘Hamar Lab’ where 71 different types of tests could be conducted and reports could be obtained in minutes but since reagents were not being supplied from the CGMSC, various tests like haematology, microbiology, serology, biochemistry, lipid profile, thyroid, vitamin, etc., were not being conducted. At present, only 11 to 12 tests are being conducted.
Hence, the Court directed the Secretary of the Health Department, Chhattisgarh Government, to file a personal affidavit regarding the aforementioned news reports.
Accordingly, the matter was listed for 12-08-2025.
[In the Matter of Suo Moto Public Interest Litigation v. State of Chhattisgarh, 2025 SCC OnLine Chh 8033, decided on 05-08-2025]
Advocates who appeared in this case:
For the Respondent: Additional Advocate General Y.S. Thakur, Advocate Raghavendra Pradhan, Court Commissioners Palash Tiwari and Palak Dwivedi
