HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Thursday directed the state government to file, within three weeks, a comprehensive counter affidavit along with its policy decision and guidelines on emergency medical care services.
The direction was issued while hearing a suo motu PIL initiated on the basis of a letter addressed to the Chief Justice by advocate Bathini Komuraiah.
A bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin took note of allegations relating to the denial of medical treatment to a patient at the Mahbubabad district hospital.
The bench also directed the Registry to tag the present PIL with a similar pending PIL concerning alleged deficiencies in emergency medical services. In that case, it was alleged that ambulance services were denied to an SC girl on the ground that she was not carrying an Aadhaar card.
Next hearing on March 18
Both matters have been posted for further hearing on March 18, 2026.
Observing the seriousness of the allegations, the bench sought a detailed response from the state, including policy measures and operational guidelines to ensure that emergency medical care is not denied on technical or procedural grounds.
Shocker that prompted PIL
According to the letter placed before the court, the incident relates to V Ravi, a resident of Jayaram village in Chinnaguduru mandal of Mahbubabad district, who was reportedly suffering from severe kidney-related and other ailments.
It was alleged that hospital staff refused to provide medical assistance on the grounds that he was not accompanied by an attender and did not possess an Aadhaar card. The letter stated that the patient remained in the hospital canteen for nearly three days in an unconscious condition after being denied treatment.
Hospital authorities allegedly presumed him to be dead and shifted him to the mortuary. Members of the sweeping staff later noticed signs of movement, following which the police were alerted and the man was shifted back to the hospital and admitted for treatment.
The incident was reported by a vernacular daily on October 31, 2025, after which Bathini Komuraiah wrote to the Chief Justice seeking judicial intervention and directions to safeguard the right to life and access to medical care under Article 21 of the Constitution.