Karnataka HC raps govt for delay in operationalising BMCRI depts

The High Court of Karnataka deprecated the state government and the medical education department for the “deliberate delay” in operationalising the surgical gastroenterology and liver transplantation department at the BMCRI premises.

The department, formally made functional on July 5, 2021, is not operational to date.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum was hearing a civil contempt petition by city-based advocate M N Umesh.

Umesh’s PIL seeking to revive the department had been disposed of in February 2021 with an assurance from the government that it would be made functional, including the outpatient department (OPD).

Institute director Dr Nagesh and undersecretary to the medical education department M Jyoti Prakash were present in the court during the hearing.

The director submitted that the institute cannot be made operational unless sanitised as per the norms. He said they would need two more months to sanitise the institute.

The court orally observed that such delays by the state government are nothing but risking the lives of poor people visiting the department.

“We fail to appreciate as to why the institute was not sanitised till date and why they are waiting for the court to grant them time to sanitise the institute. The conduct of the concerning authorities is highly deprecated. We take cognizance of the deliberate delay in making the institute operational,” the bench said.

The court directed the principal secretary of the medical education department to be present during the next hearing. It also directed the additional government advocate to submit details by the next date of hearing to fix responsibility for the delay.