Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Nov 22: High Court today closed two Public Interest Litigations (PILs) as the reliefs and grievances raised therein have been meted out by the authorities.
The division bench of Chief Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey and Justice V C Koul closed a PIL which was taken as suo moto action by the court to the representation made by one Malik Sajid, President Initiative for Peace and Development, for preservation of space for child and female patients including pregnant women at SKIMS, Bemina, as the said sections were stated to have been facing difficulties while approaching the hospital for treatment.
After the notice was issued to the concerned authorities with regard to the issues raised in the representation, the Financial Commissioner Health & Medical Education Department, in his response informed the court that a separate paediatrics hospital having specialties in paediatrics department like paediatric surgery, paediatric cardiology, paediatric oncology, paediatric gastroenterology etc has been established at Bemina, Srinagar.
He has further added that two new Maternity Hospitals of 200 beds capacity each were sanctioned by the Ministry of Health & family Welfare, Government of India, one each at Srinagar and Jammu, to strengthen the maternity related services and facilities in the J&K.
These sites were finalized at Bemina, Srinagar and Government Hospital Gandhi Nagar, Jammu. The sites for both these projects viz. Maternity hospital and Paediatrics Hospital were identified adjacently at Bemina, Srinagar.
While the progress of execution of Maternity Hospital Srinagar was advancing towards its completion, the Principal, Government Medical College, Srinagar mooted a proposal to convert the complete complex of 200-Bedded Maternity Hospital and 300- bedded Paediatrics Hospital into a full- fledged 500-bedded paediatrics Hospital due to the reasons that maternity related services in the L.D Hospital, Srinagar have been substantially strengthened by way of construction of additional 200- bedded block and the same has been made functional also.
It is further added by the FC H&ME department that another 200- bedded block has also been approved under World Bank Funding for L.D Hospital Srinagar raising the existing bed strength from 500 beds to 900 beds.
“The detailed response/status report filed by the Financial Commissioner Health & Medical Education Department, satisfies the requirements for care of both children and women so far as the medical facilities are concerned”, DB recorded
Court therefore inclined to close the Public Interest Litigation with the observation that the authorities will strengthen the existing facilities in these Hospitals for both the children and women in the best advancement of medical system.
Dealing with another PIL regarding charging of tuition fee, bus fee or any other incidental fee charged by the private school institutions. In this connection court has been informed by Additional Advocate General that grievances in the instant PIL stands settled by the formation of Fee Fixation Committee (FFRC) for Private Schools and the Committee is said to be issuing the orders from time to time to regulate the matters within its ambit and the Committee is providing hearing to the various parent bodies as also the School associations.
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