Delhi: Max Hospital resumes operation, claims 'stay' on licence cancellation order

The licence cancellation case pertains to the premature twins, one of whom was wrongly declared dead on November 30 at the hospital where he was born, and who died during treatment at a nursing home in Pitampura a week later.

The licence cancellation case pertains to the premature twins, one of whom was wrongly declared dead on November 30 at the hospital where he was born. Photo: PTI

NEW DELHI: Max Healthcare claimed its hospital in Shalimar Bagh in the city has resumed operations from Wednesday after an "appropriate" authority "stayed" its licence cancellation, though the appellate body did not confirm it. A week ago, the hospital group had filed an appeal in the the Court of the Financial Commissioner against the cancellation of the licence of its hospital in north-west Delhi by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) of the city government. Max Healthcare in a statement issued on Wednesday claimed, "Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh has resumed its operations from today, following a stay order issued by the appropriate appellate authority to whom an appeal was made." However, an official from the Court of the Financial Commissioner, when contacted, did not share the copy of the stay order, saying, it can only be issued to the parties concerned. Max Healthcare authorities, when contacted also declined to share a copy of the stay order. "We are fully focused on providing quality care to all our patients and honouring our commitment of ensuring free treatment to the economically weaker sections of the society," the private hospital group further said in its statement. The Financial Commissioner is a statutory post and the incumbent exercises the powers of the Lt Governor or Chief Commissioner, delegated under various statutes, according to details on the website of the Financial Commissioner. The DGHS of the Delhi government's health department had cancelled licence of the hospital for multiple instances of alleged medical negligence, including a case in which one of the twins was found alive after being declared dead by the facility. The licence cancellation case pertains to the premature twins, one of whom was wrongly declared dead on November 30 at the hospital where he was born, and who died during treatment at a nursing home in Pitampura a week later. Both the babies were declared stillborn by the hospital and handed over to the family allegedly in a polythene bag. But to their utter horror, they found that the boy was still alive, while they were on way to do their final rites.