What’s the use of AIIMS if infra help is sought from a state hospital: Cal HC
Times of India | 10 October 2024
Kolkata: The name “All India Institute of Medical Sciences” refers to a premier health organisation brand in the country, where people expect the best, the Calcutta High Court said on Tuesday, questioning why such a highly valued institute has to take help of a tertiary state health facility like JNM Hospital Kalyani to conduct a postmortem. The HC directed the Union health secretary to scale up AIIMS Kalyani facility at par with AIIMS Delhi or AIIMS Rishikesh by Dec 31.
Justice Tirthankar Ghosh was visibly dismayed to learn that AIIMS Kalyani had to conduct the post-mortem of the 10-year-old Kultali victim not on its premises but at JNM Hospital, nine kilometers away. The judge observed, “What’s the use of setting up an AIIMS in the state if infrastructural help has to be sought from a state hospital?” “Does AIIMs Kalyani have an operating theatre? If yes, how many surgeries were held in the hospital?” Justice Ghosh said. He wondered how students at AIIMS Kalyani could pursue MBBS without a practical knowledge of post-mortem examination.
The judge in his order also wrote, “The institution has been offering courses to best of the students across the country at the graduation and post-graduation level in the field of medical sciences.” He also wrote, “The institute is not restricted for only academic purposes but also for rendering services to patients who are suffering from acute diseases. If an AIIMS is situated within a state, the common man at large should be benefited by the services of the best of the doctors who are ready, but they are not having a support system to execute their ability.”
While giving the year-end deadline to the Centre to spruce up infrastructure, Justice Ghosh also asked the state to provide all necessary clearances and licences to AIIMS Kalyani.
The judge also disposed of the plea by the state on the post-mortem in the Kultali rape-and-murder. The family told the high court that it has no complaints on how it was done. The AIIMS Kalyani also told HC that it received cooperation from the state and the hospital while conducting it. The judge also asked the state to provide legal help to the Kultali accused after it learnt that no lawyer was willing to defend the accused.