The Delhi High Court has directed the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to conduct surprise audits of 38 government hospitals across the national capital after a 70-year-old patient was allegedly denied an ICU bed despite the hospital's online portal showing beds as available. The Court said the incident highlighted serious gaps in the implementation of Delhi's digital hospital management system and emergency response mechanism.
Background of the Case
The matter came up during the hearing of a batch of public interest petitions concerning healthcare infrastructure and hospital management in Delhi. During the proceedings, Amicus Curiae Ashok Agarwal informed the Court about the case of 70-year-old Kamar Jahan, who had developed breathing difficulty on June 30, 2026.
According to the submissions, she was first examined at Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital and referred to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital for an ICU bed. However, when she reached LNJP Hospital, she was allegedly discharged after receiving only basic treatment on the ground that no ICU bed was available. Her granddaughter informed the Court that the hospital's website was showing two ICU beds as vacant at that time.
Court's Observations
The Bench of Justice Prathiba M. Singh and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora noted that the incident was "an unfortunate situation" indicating a disconnect between the online ICU bed data and the actual availability of beds.
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The Court also found that repeated calls made to the emergency numbers listed on the hospital's website either went unanswered or were attended by personnel unable to provide information about ICU bed availability. Even the Court Master reportedly failed to obtain a response while dialing the listed numbers during the hearing.
The Bench further observed,
"Clearly, there is disparity in the manner in which the HMIS Platform is being implemented across the Delhi Government hospitals."
It added that consistency in using the NextGen e-Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) was essential and hospitals must ensure that patients are not turned away because of administrative lapses.
Directions Issued by the Court
To address the concerns, the High Court directed NIC Joint Director Aarti Garg and her team to conduct surprise inspections of all 38 Delhi government hospitals until July 31, 2026. The audit will examine whether ICU bed availability is being updated correctly, whether emergency calls are properly attended, and whether the HMIS platform is being implemented uniformly across hospitals.
The Court also asked the Delhi Government to consider establishing a dedicated toll-free helpline with multiple lines capable of providing real-time information on ICU beds and hospital facilities. In addition, it sought details on whether a nodal officer exists to coordinate transfers between hospitals so that referred patients are not refused admission.
Unused Medical Equipment Under Scrutiny
During the hearing, the Court also examined the status of a PET Cyclotron machine at the Delhi State Cancer Institute. It was informed that the equipment, purchased in 2017 at a cost of about ₹15.42 crore, had remained non-functional due to the absence of trained personnel and pending approvals.
Calling it a "gross waste of public resources," the Bench directed all GNCTD hospitals to file reports identifying medical equipment that has been purchased but remains unused, along with the reasons for non-utilisation.
Decision
The High Court directed that Kamar Jahan be immediately referred to LNJP Hospital for an ICU bed and appropriate treatment, while requiring a status report on her condition before the next hearing. It also ordered the surprise audits, sought proposals for strengthening the emergency ICU response system, and listed the matter for further consideration on August 7, 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 & W.P.(C) 15834/2025
Judge: Justice Prathiba M. Singh and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora
Decision Date: July 3, 2026
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