HYDERABAD: A division bench of High Court on Monday directed AP and TS governments to file counter affidavits to a PIL which sought governmental regulation of private health sector and strengthening of public health system in the state.The bench was dealing with the PIL filed by Narender Kazipeta, a journalist whose sister lost her life due to alleged medical negligence and callousness of a corporate hospital in the city.
Citing instances of negligence and greed for profit leading to unethical practices, the petitioner had arraigned Care, Global and Apollo Hospitals as respondents. While Apollo Hospitals has filed a counter affidavit, the counsels of the other two hospitals sought one week’s time to do so. Petitioner’s counsel NS Arjun Kumar complained about AP and TS governments’ indifference to filing counter affidavits despite court’s direction last year. After PIL’s admission by the court, there have been some positive steps in terms of action taken by State Medical Council against errant doctors and so on. There was a need to have an urgent hearing of the case as millions of people are suffering at the hands of the unscrupulous corporate hospitals, he added. While adjourning the case by two weeks, the bench directed the respondents to file their counter affidavits.