The Himachal Pradesh High Court has strongly pulled up the state government over the non-functional lifts at a government hospital, causing severe inconvenience to patients, especially those with critical conditions. The court expressed displeasure over the lack of basic amenities and directed the authorities to repair the lifts immediately.
Court's Observations
Hearing a petition on the matter, the division bench of Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Justice Sushil Kukreja noted that the lifts have been out of order for a long time, forcing patients to climb stairs. The court termed the situation as 'unacceptable' and a reflection of the government's apathy towards public health infrastructure.
Government's Response
The state counsel informed the court that the repair work was underway and would be completed soon. However, the court was not satisfied with the response and directed the chief medical officer to personally monitor the repair work and submit a compliance report within two weeks.
The court also warned that if the lifts are not made functional by the next hearing, it may consider imposing a fine on the responsible officials. The case has been listed for further hearing after two weeks.
