Hospitals cannot deny treatment.

While adjudicating on a case where a patient was denied treatment in a hospital based in Gujarat on account of the fact that he arrived in a private vehicle as opposed to a 108 Ambulance, the High Court of Gujarat laid down a slew of directions with regard to hospital admissions.

Relevant extracts of the Judgment have been reproduced below-

“So in such circumstances of delay in the 108 Ambulance reaching the patient for picking up, if the attendants and patients reach the hospital in privately arranged vehicles, there can be no justification for not treating such patients and not admitting them if beds are available.

We accordingly direct that all the Government, Corporation, designated and private hospitals to attend all patients reaching them. Patients cannot be left unattended, however, admission of hospital would of course be subject to availability of beds, but then a preliminary needed treatment should be given and thereafter the parties may be advised further course of action.”