CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the representatives of the MCI, CMDA, Health Department, Fire and Rescue Service department and the Chief Commissioner of Persons with Disabilities to sit together and work out comprehensive viable proposals for providing ramp facilities in all hospitals in the State.
The First Bench of Chief Justice SK Kaul and Justice MM Sundresh gave the direction on Monday while passing further interim orders on a PIL from Jawaharlal Shanmugam of Tiruvanmiyur.
The PIL submitted that there were many multi-specialty hospitals, both government and private, functioning in high-rise buildings. Most of them had no ramp facility. The issue of safety of patients, staff and visitors was not given due importance by the managements. The patients could not be evacuated from the building during emergencies of natural calamities or man-made disasters such as planting of bombs, petitioner contended.
When the matter came up on Monday, the Bench gave the direction and said that an affidavit should be filed in pursuance to the meeting, specifying what steps/changes were to be taken and to obtain the approval of the court. The Bench granted one-month time and one week thereafter to file the affidavit.
Since the Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities is not a party to the present proceedings, the Bench impleaded the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, New Delhi, as the 5th respondent, on behalf of whom Assistant Solicitor General S Srinivasan took notice.
The matter was adjourned till April 21.
Nalini Moves HC for 3 Days’ ther’s Cremony
Chennai: S Nalini (48,) serving life term for her alleged involvement in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in the Special Prison for Women in Vellore, has moved the Madras High Court with a writ petition for a direction to the prison superintendent to grant her leave for three days from March 8 to 10 to enable her to attend the 16th day obsequies of her father at Kottur in the City. Her father Sankaranarayanan died on February 23 in Tirunelveli district and his body was brought to Chennai on February 24. She was granted parole by the prison superintendent just for 12 hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on February 24 for the purpose of performing the last rites. She attended the funeral with due escort between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. She was taken back to prison on the very same day and was lodged in prison at about 7 p.m. The 16th day obsequies of her father are scheduled for March 9. She made a representation to the prison superintendent on March 2 to grant three days’ leave. But there was no response. Hence, the present petition before the High Court, she said in her petition.