Telangana High Court seeks response over lack of emergency healthcare facilities at court premises

The petitioner raised concerns about the absence of basic medical infrastructure such as on-site health centres and ambulances at court premises, with the exception of the High Court itself

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday called for a detailed response from the Registrar of the Telangana High Court over the lack of emergency healthcare facilities in court complexes across the State.

The direction came while a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Renuka Yara was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Advocate Harsha Vardhan Gujjeti.

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The petitioner raised concerns about the absence of basic medical infrastructure such as on-site health centres and ambulances at court premises, with the exception of the High Court itself. He urged the Court to intervene and ensure the deployment of trained personnel and life-saving equipment in each judicial complex to respond swiftly to medical emergencies involving lawyers, litigants, or court staff.

Referring to a tragic incident on February 18, the petition highlights the sudden death of Advocate P. Venugopal Rao, who suffered a heart attack while arguing a case before a single judge bench. Though fellow lawyers attempted to administer CPR and rushed him to Osmania General Hospital, he was declared dead upon arrival.

The petitioner argued that the outcome might have been different if appropriate emergency medical support had been available within the court premises.

Appearing for the Registrar, Telangana High Court, Senior Counsel G. Vidya Sagar,informed the bench that a status report will be filed by Thursday and listed the matter for further consideration on April 21.