Gujarat High Court points to ‘Pathetic State of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital’

AHMEDABAD: With rising Covid-19 mortality in the state, the Gujarat High Court has termed the conditions at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital “pathetic”. “It is very distressing and painful to note that the condition prevailing, as on date, in the Civil Hospital, is pathetic. The patients admitted for the Covid-19 treatment are dying.

The figures on record would indicate that out of 625 deaths in Gujarat, 570 have been recorded in the Ahmedabad City till May 20, 2020.

Out of the 570 deaths, 351 have been recorded in Ahmedabad. The Civil Hospital contributes to 62% of the total deaths,” observed the court. “It is very distressing to note that most of the patients in the Civil Hospital are dying after four days or more of the treatment. This indicates complete lack of critical care.”


The court also observed that apart from “inadequate patient care in the Civil Hospital”, the “senior doctors do not visit the wards and throw the entire burden on the resident doctors”.

Comparing Ahmedabad Civil Hospital’s resident doctor strength with that of Sardar Val labhbhai Patel Hospital, which is run by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, the court said: “There are 1,200 resident doctors in the Civil Hospital as against 425 in the SVP Hospital, yet the critical care is insufficient.”

The court said, “The situation has not yet improved in the Civil Hospital in the last two months, despite senior IAS officers like Pankaj Kumar, Milind Torwane and Jayanti Ravi being appointed for the management of the Civil Hospital.”