Allahabad High Court orders UP government to improve medical college facilities

The Allahabad High Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to create a conclusive roadmap with specific timelines to improve medical facilities in newly opened medical colleges. The court's objective is to prevent critically ill patients from being shuttled between various hospitals due to inadequate local infrastructure.

A Lucknow bench, comprising Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Manjive Shukla, ordered the additional chief secretary of medical health and family welfare to submit this roadmap via affidavit. The plan must include both immediate and long-term measures. Additionally, the court requested details regarding the proportion of the state budget allocated to medical services, noting that financial constraints should not hinder the provision of care.

The ruling follows a public interest litigation concerning the death of a newborn who was moved between several institutions, including KG Medical University (KGMU), Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences (RMLIMS), and SGPGI, while seeking treatment. The court emphasized the necessity of decentralizing healthcare by equipping new colleges with super-specialty facilities and ventilators to reduce the need for patients to travel to Lucknow for critical care.