‘State failed to protect right to life,' says HC after death of patient

New Delhi: “The state has failed in its fundamental obligation to protect the basic fundamental right, that is, right to life under Article 21,” said an anguished Delhi high court, which was informed on Friday about the passing away of a man, on whose behalf an ICU bed was being sought before it for the past few days. The bench, earlier during the same hearing, had noted the “complete failure of the state” when dealing with another plea.

- Aamir Khan

There was silence and moist eyes in the court following the announcement by a lawyer who was representing the patient, his brother-in-law, before Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli. A feeling of shock and despair overwhelmed the virtual hearing.

“We are very sorry about it… We may at this stage record complete helplessness with the situation,” said the bench. The lawyer, Amit Sharma, had been pleading in court for an ICU bed for his brother-in-law, Atul Kumar Sharma. The patient’s condition had deteriorated over the course of the hearing in the past few days.

One of the hospitals before the court, Maharaja Agrasen, had provided him with a bed in the casualty but had expressed its inability to shift him to an ICU for want of medical oxygen. The patient’s lawyer, however, pleaded that he needed an ICU bed.