UP Prayagraj Hospitals Beneath Menace from Non-public “Medical Mafias”: Allahabad Excessive Court docket

Prayagraj, Could 24, 2025 – The Allahabad Excessive Court docket has issued a scathing indictment of the medical infrastructure in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, declaring that authorities hospitals, notably Swaroop Rani Nehru (SRN) Hospital, are in a “pathetic situation” and underneath the grip of personal “medical mafias.” In a landmark order on Could 23, 2025, Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal described SRN Hospital, hooked up to Motilal Nehru Medical School, as a “mortuary” relatively than a hospital, highlighting a nexus between hospital workers and personal medical entities that exploits weak sufferers.

The Court docket’s Damning Observations

The courtroom’s remarks got here throughout a Public Curiosity Litigation (PIL) stemming from a client discussion board case involving a physician from SRN Hospital treating sufferers at a non-public facility. Justice Agarwal famous that poor and helpless sufferers are being “dragged by touts” posted by medical mafias to non-public setups, bypassing therapy at authorities hospitals. “Prayagraj is underneath the grip of medical mafias. The federal government medical setup is underneath nice menace from the personal medical mafias of the town,” the courtroom said, pointing to a systemic failure exacerbated by a nexus between SRN Hospital workers and personal operators.

A report by two court-appointed amicus curiae, who inspected SRN Hospital, underscored the disaster: insufficient services, non-availability of medical doctors in outpatient departments (OPD), and a scarcity of fundamental infrastructure. The courtroom highlighted the hospital’s proximity to the Mahakumbh Mela website, the place 66.3 crore pilgrims gathered in January-February 2025, noting that the town’s medical infrastructure was “in shambles” and ill-equipped to deal with emergencies. “It was by the grace of God that no untoward incident occurred,” the bench remarked, emphasizing the chance to public security.

Systemic Failures and Neglect

The courtroom criticized the state and district administration for failing to offer fundamental medical services, noting that Prayagraj’s hospital mattress capability (1,750) lags behind cities like Lucknow, Kanpur, and Gorakhpur, which boast over 2,000 beds every. This disparity is stark given Prayagraj’s internet hosting of the world’s largest non secular honest. The bench additionally lambasted public representatives, together with ministers from Prayagraj within the Uttar Pradesh cupboard, for neglecting the deteriorating situation of SRN Hospital.

The courtroom’s findings align with earlier issues raised in January 2025, when it labeled the apply of presidency medical doctors referring sufferers to non-public nursing properties a “menace.” A case involving Dr. Arvind Gupta, a professor at Motilal Nehru Medical School, prompted the courtroom to demand a coverage to curb personal apply by authorities medical doctors, citing violations of a 1983 authorities order proscribing such actions.

Court docket Directives and Actions

To handle the disaster, the Allahabad Excessive Court docket issued a number of directives:

• Monitoring Group: The District Justice of the Peace (DM) was ordered to kind a crew to observe professors, assistant professors, and different medical faculty college participating in personal apply, aiming to dismantle the nexus with medical mafias.
• Hospital Cleanup: The Municipal Commissioner was directed to clear sewage traces and hospital premises inside 48 hours to enhance sanitation.
• Transparency: The SRN Hospital Superintendent was instructed to publish a weekly OPD physician schedule in newspapers, making certain accountability.
• Campus Laws: The courtroom banned unauthorized outlets and personal occasions, like marriages, on the Motilal Nehru Medical School campus, addressing misuse of public sources.
• Interim Report: An interim report on these measures is due by Could 29, 2025, when the case is subsequent listed for listening to.

In March 2025, the courtroom had additional pressed the state, noting that 37 district magistrates submitted stories on personal apply by authorities medical doctors. Nevertheless, the shortage of progress in disciplinary proceedings prompted Justice Agarwal to demand swift motion to discourage such practices.

Broader Context: A Continual Subject

The courtroom’s observations echo longstanding issues about Uttar Pradesh’s medical infrastructure. In 2021, the Allahabad Excessive Court docket described the state’s rural and small-town medical services as “Ram Bharose” (on the mercy of God), citing incidents just like the mishandling of a affected person’s physique in Meerut. It urged upgrades to medical faculties to match establishments like Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute, a suggestion but to be absolutely realized.

Posts on X, similar to one by @LiveLawIndia on Could 24, 2025, replicate public outrage, amplifying the courtroom’s name for motion and tagging the Chief Minister’s Workplace and Nationwide Well being Mission. The sentiment underscores widespread frustration with Prayagraj’s healthcare system.

The Position of Non-public Hospitals

Whereas personal multispecialty hospitals like Jeevan Jyoti Hospital, Vatsalya Maternity & Surgical Centre, and United Medicity supply superior care in Prayagraj, their excessive prices exclude many low-income sufferers. Jeevan Jyoti, with NABH accreditation and 210 beds, and Vatsalya, with 105 beds and cutting-edge lithotripsy, cater to specialised wants however are sometimes implicated within the “medical mafia” nexus, as authorities medical doctors allegedly funnel sufferers to those services for revenue.

Path Ahead

The Allahabad Excessive Court docket’s intervention alerts a essential juncture for Prayagraj’s healthcare. By focusing on the medical mafia’s affect, implementing anti-private apply insurance policies, and demanding infrastructure enhancements, the courtroom goals to revive public belief in authorities hospitals. Nevertheless, the success of those measures hinges on swift state motion and sustained oversight. Because the Could 29 listening to approaches, residents and observers await tangible reforms to make sure SRN Hospital transforms from a “mortuary” right into a lifeline for Prayagraj’s thousands and thousands.