The High Court of Uttarakhand has directed the State government to take steps for resolving problems being faced by patients due to the strike of private doctors since last week. The government should appoint doctors on contract in government hospitals for the benefit of patients and inform the court about measures taken in this case on next Wednesday.
The division Bench of chief justice Ramesh Ranganathan and justice Ramesh Chandra Khulbe issued these directions while hearing a public interest litigation filed against the strike by private clinic owners in the State. The high court also directed the State Government to ensure the appointment of the required number of doctors in government hospitals to facilitate necessary treatment for every patient.
It was also brought to the notice of the court that with the strike of private clinics going on for a week, the number of patients had increased. Despite this the State Government had not taken special measures to tackle this situation. Considering this the court has sought a report from the government in a week. Further, the court also told the Indian Medical Association that the Clinical Establishment Act had been implemented on court orders so if the association desires any amendments, it can approach the Supreme Court. Since the review petition of the IMA has also been rejected by the high court, the state government is bound to follow the court orders regarding implementation of the Act.