New Delhi: The Delhi government on Friday cancelled the licence of Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh with immediate effect, for alleged medical negligence including the twins case in which one of the babies was found alive after being declared dead by the doctors.
The move came after a three-member inquiry panel of the government submitted its final report to Health Minister Satyendar Jain, who described the incident as “not acceptable”.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) of the Delhi government’s heath department, the licence has been cancelled till further order.
In the order issued by the DGHS, the keeper of the hospital has also been directed to “refrain from admitting any new indoor patient and stop all outdoor treatment service in the premises with immediate effect”.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, “open loot or criminal negligence” by any hospital will not be tolerated. “Whereas we don’t wish to interfere in day to day functioning of pvt hospitals, however, open loot or criminal negligence by any hospital won’t be tolerated. We won’t hesitate to take strongest action in such cases (sic),” he tweeted.
Earlier, addressing a press conference here, Jain said the government will not tolerate “criminal negligence”, while terming the upscale private as a “habitual offender”.
“Delhi government has cancelled the licence of Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh with immediate effect,” he said.
“Max Hospital is a habitual offender and three notices were served earlier to it. And, it has been found guilty in those cases too.
“Three notices had been issued to the hospital over lapses involving the EWS (extremely weaker section) quota patients and dengue fever beds. The action taken is in continuation of effect of previous notices,” he said.
Kejriwal had recently said that his government did not want to interfere in the functioning of private hospitals, but will not tolerate “criminal negligence”, he told reporters.
“The (Max) hospital cannot admit and treat new patients, which means the the hospital’s billing function is not active now. They continue to treat admitted patients,” Jain said. (PTI)