New Delhi | Special Correspondent: Arun Sharma

In a stinging indictment of the state of public healthcare, the Delhi High Court on Thursday adopted an uncompromising stance, questioning how citizens of the national capital are expected to survive when basic diagnostic services like MRI and radiology are missing from government hospitals.


Calling the situation “deeply disturbing”, the court observed that it was better to accept the uncomfortable truth than hide behind paperwork and panels.


“Imagine not having basic MRI and radiology services in government hospitals,” the bench remarked — a statement that echoed far beyond the courtroom, striking at the heart of India’s public health conscience.


A Harsh Reality, Not a Technical Lapse
The bench comprising Justice Prathiba M. Singh and Justice Manmeet P.S. Arora was hearing a matter reviewing the implementation of directions issued to upgrade diagnostic services in Delhi’s government hospitals.
The government’s claim that patients were being referred to 35 empanelled diagnostic centres failed to impress the court.
“We are not satisfied,” the judges said, pointing out that most of these centres are private, raising serious questions about access, affordability, and accountability.


“Accept the Failure”
In unusually blunt language, the High Court told the health department:
“It means the whole of Delhi effectively has no radiological services for the common man. Better to accept this reality.”
The court underlined that outsourcing diagnostics cannot substitute in-house hospital infrastructure, especially when poor patients are left navigating private systems they cannot afford.


Government Put to Test
The High Court directed the Health Department to submit a detailed report covering:
The actual diagnostic capabilities of all empanelled centres
Availability of MRI, CT scans and ultrasounds
Number of patients referred and treated
Funds released to these centres over the last year
The court made it clear that vague assurances will no longer suffice.


A Question of Dignity, Not Data
Legal observers note that the court’s remarks go beyond administrative compliance. They touch upon a constitutional concern — the right to health and dignity.
For thousands of patients dependent on government hospitals, the absence of basic diagnostics often means delayed treatment, mounting debt, or irreversible harm.


A National Wake-Up Call
Though the case pertains to Delhi, the message resonates nationwide:
A modern capital without MRI access in government hospitals is not just a policy failure — it is a moral one.
The High Court’s stern tone signals that public health can no longer be treated as a secondary obligation. For a country aspiring to global leadership, the court’s message is clear:
*Healthcare is not a privilege. It is a right — and the State must answer for it