‘Provide wheelchairs to patients with rare diseases’
Times of India | 25 April 2025
123 Kolkata: Calcutta High Court on Thursday took exception to the state's inability to provide mechanised wheelchairs and at least three ICU beds for treatment of patients suffering from rare diseases at the Police Hospital. Patients with rare diseases were asked to report for check-ups at this hospital, other than the IPGMER SSKM Hospital.
"It is unfortunate that despite earlier orders and directions, the state has been insensitive and has not complied with the order of providing mechanised wheelchairs, particularly for patients suffering from rare diseases. Failure to comply with the order further shall cause suo motu action for contempt," observed Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam.
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A division bench of Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice Chaitali Chatterjee (Das) directed the state to provide at least five mechanised wheelchairs and reserve three ICU beds for patients with rare diseases before the next hearing on May 15.
Counsel for the petitioner submitted that a patient died after he was denied an ICU bed in the Police Hospital. The counsel also said 14 patients were treated at AIIMS, Delhi, and the patients were given medicines free of cost.
The counsel seized the opportunity to refer to an observation of the bench on whether the centre of excellence model at AIIMS, Delhi, could be replicated at IPGMER.
The division bench took note of a Union govt notification wherein Rs 10 crore was released for import of drugs for centres of excellence, including IPGMER.
The division bench also took note of a memo by the Centre on May 19, 2022, through which support for treatment of patients with rare diseases was fixed up to Rs 20 lakh.