Sat Nov 01 19:44:38 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the provided text and a rewrite as a news article:
Summary:
The Delhi High Court has requested a response from Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital regarding allegations of inadequate medical facilities, specifically the unavailability of Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) for detecting infections like HIV and a shortage of essential medicines. An NGO, Kutumb, filed a petition claiming that RML Hospital has not been conducting mandatory NAT testing for blood transfusions since November 2024 due to a malfunctioning machine, potentially exposing patients to life-threatening diseases. The petition also alleges that patients are being forced to purchase essential medicines externally at high costs, hindering access to healthcare for the economically disadvantaged. The court has asked the hospital’s medical superintendent to submit an affidavit addressing these grievances and scheduled the next hearing for December 17th.
News Article:
Delhi High Court Seeks Explanation from RML Hospital Over Alleged Medical Deficiencies
New Delhi – November 2, 2025 – The Delhi High Court has demanded an explanation from Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital following a petition alleging a lack of essential medical facilities. The petition, filed by the NGO Kutumb, claims that the hospital is failing to provide Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) for blood transfusions, a crucial procedure for detecting infections such as HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C.
The NGO alleges that RML Hospital’s NAT machine has been out of service since November 2024. As a result, blood transfusions are reportedly being conducted using only routine serology tests, which do not detect the virus genes themselves. This practice, the petition argues, puts vulnerable patients, including those with thalassemia who require frequent transfusions, at a significant risk of contracting life-threatening diseases.
“The hospital’s semi-automatic NAT machine reportedly stopped functioning in November 2024, and since then, only routine serology tests [which check for antibodies or antigens, rather than the actual virus genes] are being conducted. This exposes thousands of unsuspecting patients, including those requiring repeated transfusions such as thalassemia patients, to a grave risk of contracting life-threatening diseases,” the plea said.
In addition to the NAT testing issue, the petition also raises concerns about the “non-availability” of essential medicines at the hospital. Kutumb alleges that patients, particularly those from economically weaker sections, are being forced to purchase these medications from external sources at inflated prices, effectively denying them access to affordable healthcare.
A Bench of Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora has directed the medical superintendent of RML Hospital to submit an affidavit addressing the specific grievances outlined in the petition. The court has scheduled the next hearing for December 17th, giving the hospital time to respond to the serious allegations.
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