PIL seeks better medical facilities for cancer patients in Haryana

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued a notice of motion to Haryana on a public interest petition on alleged mismatch between the rising number of cancer patients in the state and the inadequate medical infrastructure, particularly beds.

The Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel fixed May 23 as the next date of hearing on the plea filed by advocate and activist Ranjan Lakhanpal, who cited The Tribune’s front-page report “60,000 cancer cases in 2 years, only 915 beds in Haryana Government hospitals” published on March 29.

Among other things, Lakhanpal flagged the “pitiable condition" of healthcare infrastructure, while submitting that the number of patients was multiplying while government response remained virtually non-existent.

Quoting from the news report, the petitioner submitted that the demand was for nearly 60,000 beds, but the government had provided only 915, making it “wholly impossible" to meet the healthcare needs in the foreseeable future unless immediate and drastic steps were taken.

Referring to the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution, Lakhanpal added it included the right to timely and adequate medical treatment. He said the state could not be a silent spectator while citizens continued to suffer due to the lack of basic healthcare facilities.

He stated that the government should “leave no stone unturned to achieve the target”, warning that the crisis, if left unaddressed, would continue to get worse.

Haryana Tribune