HC takes serious view of TS, AP failing to file counter affidavits

The High Court at Hyderabad has expressed its dissatisfaction at the non-serious attitude of the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana State governments as evident in their not filing counter affidavits till date in the Public Interest Litigation petition that was filed in 2016, seeking regulation of private health sector and strengthening of public health system.

It gave the governments one last chance till November 13 to file their counters with the condition that if the counter affidavits are not filed, the Principal Secretaries of Health Department must be present in the Court on that day to explain why they are not filing the affidavits.

The division bench comprising Justice V Ramasubramanian and Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili gave this direction while hearing a PIL petition filed by a journalist K Narender, seeking greater regulation of rampant corporate hospitals whose profit motive was causing misery to the people at large.

He also pointed out various malpractices being committed by such hospitals, including the infamous case of a young software professional Nikhil Reddy, whose height increasing surgery resulted in a tragedy, with him being unable to walk and resume his normal life till date.

Global Hospitals, Care Hospitals, Apollo Hospitals who were arraigned as Respondents had filed their counter affidavits. But the Principal Secretaries of Health Departments of the two states have not so far filed their counters.

The bench took exception to this and pulled up the Government Pleaders. It warned that if no counter affidavits are filed, it will be taken that the averments made in the petition are agreed to be true by the respondents.

Saying that it was giving one last chance, the bench directed the governments to file their counter affidavits by November 13 or else the Principal Secretaries must be present in the Court on that day and explain the non-filing.