The Delhi High Court has directed the Delhi Government to take concrete steps to address deficiencies in the functioning of government hospitals, including gaps in ICU bed information, hospital helplines, digital health systems and unused medical equipment.
A Division Bench of Justice Prathiba M. Singh and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora passed the directions on August 7, 2026, while hearing two petitions concerning healthcare facilities in Delhi.
Background of the Case
The Court had earlier directed the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to conduct a surprise audit of 38 hospitals after noticing inconsistencies in the use of the NextGen e-Hospital Management Information System (HMIS).
Two NIC teams inspected the hospitals between July 13 and July 24, 2026. The audit examined whether ICU bed availability was correctly reflected online, whether emergency calls seeking ICU beds were being properly answered, and whether the HMIS was being uniformly used.
The report found that ICU bed figures generally matched the actual availability, though differences were noticed in some hospitals. It also recorded that some emergency telephone numbers were not responsive. The use of HMIS modules also varied considerably among hospitals.
Court's Observations
The Bench noted that several hospitals continued to face deficiencies because of inadequate staff, shortage of technical manpower, insufficient computer systems and IT infrastructure, and connectivity problems.
The Court directed the Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, GNCTD, to circulate the detailed audit report to all 38 hospitals and obtain their comments. A comprehensive status report explaining the corrective measures and timelines was also ordered. The NIC team was permitted to conduct another surprise inspection.
The Bench also examined the proposed use of the existing Centralized Accident and Trauma Services (CATS) toll-free infrastructure as a common helpline for emergency services and ICU bed information. However, the Court observed that the government's report did not clearly identify the proposed helpline number or explain how ICU availability information would be provided to callers.
Unused Medical Equipment
The Court further took note of a detailed list showing substantial quantities of unused equipment across 26 hospitals. The report attributed the situation in several cases to a shortage of technically qualified manpower, missing accessories or the absence of required principal equipment.
The Bench particularly noted that Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital had 400 ventilators and 910 oxygen concentrators lying unused, while its ECG machine was reportedly non-functional.
Decision
The Court directed the Health and Services Secretaries of the GNCTD to hold meetings with the Medical Superintendents and Directors of the 26 hospitals to examine the issue hospital-wise.
The authorities were directed to consider providing technical manpower, removing condemned equipment, reallocating unused machines, fixing recruitment timelines and arranging missing accessories or principal equipment.
The meeting was scheduled for August 17, 2026, with a comprehensive status report to be filed before the next hearing.
The matter was listed for September 18, 2026.
Case Details:
- Case Title: Court on Its Own Motion v. Union of India & Ors.
- Case Number: W.P.(C) 3903/2017 & W.P.(C) 8548/2017
- Judge: Justice Prathiba M. Singh and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora
- Decision Date: August 7, 2026
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