HC issues notice to AIIMS, Rishikesh

Dehradun:  The Uttarakhand High Court has issued notices to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Union Health Ministry and the state health department on a matter related to increases in fees of various health services by the institute. In the face of protests by patients, the AIIMS Rishikesh had rolled back the hike last month.

Serving the notices on a PIL, a division bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice K M Joseph and Justice V K Bisht asked them to respond within a period of four weeks. The PIL filed by Varanasi resident Praveen Kumar Singh alleged that AIIMS, Rishikesh effected an exponential hike in fees for various treatments on October 3 inconveniencing a large number of patients belonging to the lower strata of society who had to either pay more or leave the hospital.

Singh protested the “arbitrary” and “sudden” hike in fees by the AIIMS prompting the institute’s administration to roll back the hike. However, patients who had to pay more during the period when the hike was in force are yet to be refunded the extra money they had to cough up, Singh contended in his petition.

When contacted Deputy Director (Admin) AIIMS Anshuman Gupta denied having received the high court notice so far but said whatever the court directs will be complied with.