By
Rajesh Pandey
On Tuesday, Partha Sarthi Sen, Principal Secretary of the Medical Health, Family Welfare, and Medical Education Department, appeared before the Allahabad High Court to brief the bench on the actions taken by the state government to enhance medical facilities across Uttar Pradesh. These measures encompass improvements in all 42 government medical colleges and their affiliated hospitals.
Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that had drawn attention to the “deplorable state” of Swaroop Rani Nehru (SRN) Hospital in Prayagraj, which is affiliated with Motilal Nehru Medical College.
Previously, the High Court had criticized the affidavit submitted by the Principal Secretary as being merely a formality and had summoned him for a personal appearance.
During the latest hearing, the court was informed that efforts are underway to upgrade SRN Hospital from its current capacity of 1,250 beds to 2,000 beds. For this expansion, the hospital requires an adjacent vacant plot, and a formal request for the land has already been made to the District Magistrate of Prayagraj.
In response, Prayagraj DM Ravindra Kumar Mandar assured the court that he would act promptly on the request and make every effort to allocate the required land to facilitate the hospital’s expansion.
Following these submissions, the court decided to exempt the personal appearance of all officials, except for the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Prayagraj and Dr. Raj Bahadur Kamal, Superintendent-in-Chief of SRN Hospital. Both are directed to remain present to assist the court in ensuring the hospital’s efficient functioning.
The bench scheduled the next hearing for July 22, 2025, during which it will also assess the condition of Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial (GSVM) Medical College in Kanpur and its affiliated Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital.