To,

Shri Arvind Kejriwal

Chief Minister,

Delhi

CC: Shri Satyendra Jain, Health Minister

27 February 2020

Subject: Health System Response to Delhi Riot Victims

Dear Sir,

We, the undersigned rights based networks, organisations and individuals are writing to you to bring to your attention difficulties being faced by those who have been injured in the large scale violence that has erupted in North East Delhi, at government hospitals under the jurisdiction of your government.

Family members have reported that hospitals are not providing MLC numbers and records of treatment to the them. We have also been made aware of instances where hospitals are denying admission to injured persons whose MLCs were done in a different hospital, without the MLC number and treatment records. Families and patients are thus being penalized and harassed for not producing documents which are being denied to them in the first place. At one hospital, for instance, it was only upon intervention by a lawyer that two patients whose MLCs were done in a different hospital were admitted in the Emergency ward.

Hospitals are not proactively supporting families of injured people who were lost. Information regarding their identity is not being made available, and families are running from pillar to post to identify their missing relatives. Multiple individuals who have been victims of violence have reported instances of being subjected to discriminatory language by staff members at hospitals. A few people have even expressed fear of going to government hospitals, instead choosing to access critical care at local clinics.

This amounts to gross violation of the rights of patients and weakens people’s faith in the public health system. Fearless access to the healthcare system is the right of every patient. Injured individuals and their families have suffered extreme violence and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. They have the right to information and records regarding treatment given to them, including medicolegal records. We thereby request you to kindly-

  1. Ensure that prompt and appropriate treatment is provided free of cost to all injured persons.
  • Issue instructions to all hospitals under your jurisdiction to provide treatment records and MLC papers and details to each and every injured person.
  • Direct all hospitals under your jurisdiction to ensure that care is not denied to any injured individual for want of documentation, or any other reason.
  • Direct all hospitals to prepare a list every 12 hours of people injured and publish it in the public domain, so that families can identify missing persons.
  • Direct all hospitals to ensure an environment that is supportive and respectful for families and patients.
  • Provide a relief sum of not less than Rs 50 lakhs at least for all those killed and full compensation for loss of property and reimbursement of medical expenses where needed.
  • Create a toll free number to call in instance of any hospital denying treatment/admission for quick appropriate action.


Endorsed by

Networks and Organizations:

  1. Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA)
  • Alliance of Doctors for Ethical Healthcare (ADEH)
  • All India Drug Action Network (AIDAN)
  • National Alliance for Maternal Health and Human Rights (NAMHHR)
  • Coalition for Maternal Newborn Health and Safe Abortion (CommonHealth)
  • LABIA – A Queer Feminist LBT Collective Mumbai
  • Forum Against Oppression of Women, Mumbai
  • SAHAJ, Baroda
  • National Coalition for Inclusive and Sustainable Urbanisation

Individuals:

  1. Abha Bhaiya
  • Abhijit Das, New Delhi
  • Aditi Joshi, LABIA – a Queer Feminist LBT Collective, Mumbai
  • Ajita Dalit feminist, WSS, Delhi
  • Amar Jesani, Editor, Indian Journal of Medical Ethics
  • Amita Pitre
  • Amrita Shodhan, concerned citizen, Hong Kong
  • Anand Pawar, SAMYAK, Pune
  • Anand Zachariah, Professor of medicine, Vellore
  • Anika Juneja, Public health worker, Ranchi
  • Anita E. Cherian, Faculty, Ambedkar University Delhi, Delhi
  1. Anita Ghai
  2. Ankita Mukherjee, The George Institute of Global Health, New Delhi
  3. Anns Issac, Public health professional, New Delhi
  4. Anuj Ghanekar, Social Anthropologist, Pune
  5. Anuja Gupta, Delhi
  6. Anuradha Kapoor
  7. Aruna Burte
  8. Atif Jung, Research Scholar, Jawaharlal Nehru University
  9. Aysha
  10. Barathi Nakkeeran, Student, Ambedkar University Delhi, New Delhi
  11. Beena Jadav
  12. Bindu K.C., Ambedkar University Delhi
  13. Bittu K R, Telangana Hijra Intersex Trans Samiti
  14. Chayanika Shah, Queer Feminist Activist, Mumbai
  15. Chhaya Pachauli, Director, Prayas
  16. Deepa V, Health Activist
  17. Deepa Vasudevan, Managing Trustee, Sahayathrika for Human Rights, Kerala
  18. Denny John
  19. Devaki Khanna Bangalore
  20. Devaki Nambiar, Public health practitioner
  • Dewal Sawarkar, Chhattisgarh
  • Dheeraj, Researcher, New Delhi
  • Dhruv Mankad

.   Dimple Oberoi Vahali

  • Divya S. Sarathy, Freelance Writer, Chennai
  • Dr Adithya Pradyumna, Public health researcher, Bangalore
  • Dr Priyadarsh, Director, Yumetta Foundation
  • Dr Shilpa Shroff, Mumbai
  • Dr Shrinidhi Datar, Intern MGIMS, Sewagram
  • Dr Smita Todkar, Public Health Professional
  • Dr Vidit Panchal, Indore
  • Dr. Abhay Shukla, Pune
  • Dr. Abhishek Royal
  • Dr. Amal, ADEH, New Delhi
  • Dr. Anant Phadke
  • Dr. Anoob Razak, JSA, Jharkhand
  • Dr. Arun Gadre, ADEH, Pune
  • Dr. Babu, ADEH
  • Dr. G.S. Grewal, Ludhiana
  • Dr. George Thomas, ADEH
  • Dr. Gopal Dabade, Drug Action Forum, Karnataka
  • Dr. Jacob John, Neurosurgeon, Kerala
  • Dr. KR Antony
  • Dr. Maninder Pal Singh
  • Dr. Matthew Varghese, New Delhi
  • Dr. Monica Thomas, Consultant Neurologist, New Delhi
  • Dr. Narendra Gupta
  • Dr. Padma Deosthali, Mumbai
  • Dr. Sanjib Mukhopadhyay
  • Dr. Sejal Tambat, Doctors without Borders, Govandi, Mumbai
  • Dr. Sharda, ADEH, New Delhi
  • Dr. Shaweta Anand
  • Dr. Sundararaman T
  • Dr. Sunil Kaul, Assam
  • Dr. Sylvia Karpagam, Public health doctor Karnataka
  • Dr. Vandana Prasad, Community Pediatrician
  • Dr. Veena Shatrugna, Former Deputy Director, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad
  • Dr. Vibhuti Patel, Mumbai
  • dyuti, University of Sussex
  • E. Premdas Pinto, New Delhi
  • Eric Thurman, Journalist, Chile
  • Evita Das, NAPM
  • Gabriele Dietrich
  • Gayatri Sharma, Women Power Connect
  • Gita Sen
  • Govind Kelkar
  • Gurumoorthy M, Bangalore
  • Hasina khan, Bebaak collective
  • Inayat Singh Kakar, Public Health Researcher, New Delhi
  • Jagdish Patel, Gujarat
  • Jashodhara Dasgupta, Public Health Researcher, New Delhi
  • Johanna Lokhande, Independent
  • Kaaren Mathias – Public health doctor, Uttarakhand
  • Kabi, Forum Against Oppression of Women, Mumbai
  • 86.   Kalyani Menon-Sen, Feminist Learning Partnerships, Gurgaon
  • Kamayani Bali Mahabal, Jan swasthya Abhiyan, Mumbai
  • Karuna D. W., Chennai
  • Kavin malar, Writer / Journalist, Chennai
  • Kunwar Rajeev Singh, TISS Mumbai
  • Latifa, Bangalore
  • Lydia Wester
  • Malini Aisola, AIDAN
  • Mamatha Karollil, Ambedkar University Delhi, New Delhi
  • Manola Gayatri Kumarswamy, Wits University
  • Medhavi Gupta, New Delhi
  • Meena Seshu
  • Mohan Rao, Independent Researcher, Bangalore
  • Mohit P. Gandhi, New Delhi
  • Monisha Behal
  • Mukti Bosco
  • Muneer Mammi Kutty, Public Health Professional
  • Muralidharan, General Secretary, National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled
  • Nachiket Udupa, concerned person, Delhi
  • Nandakumar K N. Kumbri Ubbu, Chickmagalur, Karnataka
  • Nandini Nayak, Ambedkar University, New Delhi.
  • Neeraj Malik
  • Nibedita Phukan, Delhi
  • Niharika Banerjea, Ambedkar University, Delhi
  • Nisha Biswas
  • Pallavi Gupta, Hyderabad, India
  • Pallavi Gupta, Public Health Consultant, New Delhi
  • Pallavi Paul, Artist and Scholar, New Delhi
  • Pamela Phillipose
  1. Philemon Thomas, Koramangala, Bangalore
  2. Prabha, New Delhi
  3. Prabir Chatterjee, SHRC, Chhattisgarh
  4. Prasanna Salingram, Bangalore
  5. Preeti Mehra, New Delhi
  6. Pyoli Swatija, Delhi
  7. R. Srivatsan, Hyderabad
  8. Rachana Johri, AUD
  9. Radha Holla Bhar, Delhi
  10. Radhika Khajuria, New Delhi
  11. Rajalakshmi, Independent Researcher, Chennai
  12. Rajeev B R, Community Dentist, Bangalore Dr Mira Shiva, Public Health Physician, NewDelhi
  1. Ramani Atkuri, Public Health Professional, Bhopal
  2. Ravi Duggal, Mumbai
  3. Renu Khanna, SAHAJ, Baroda
  4. Rheea Mukherjee, Author, Writer, Activist
  5. Rohini Hensman, Bombay
  6. Rosamma Thomas
  1. S.Srinivasan, LOCOST/SAHAJ, Baroda
  2. Sana Contractor, Public Health Researcher, New Delhi
  3. Sandhya Gautam, New Delhi


  1. 136.                       Sandhya Gokhale, Mumbai
  1. Sandhya Srinivasan, Mumbai
  2. Sanjeeta Gawri, New Delhi
  3. Santosh Mahindrakar
  4. Satish Singh, New Delhi
  5. Savithri Devi, Doctor, Sewagram
  6. Shakuntala, Jan Arogya Abhiyan, Maharashtra
  7. Sharmila Sreekumar, IIT Bomba
  8. Shazia Akbar, Chennai
  1. Shikha Aleya
  2. Shraddha Chickerur, Hyderabad
  3. Shreeti Shakya, New Delhi
  4. Shruti Arora, Delhi
  5. Shruti Parthasarathy, writer
  6. Siddarth David, Doctors For You, Mumbai.
  7. Sindhu Nila, Public health Researcher
  8. Smita Todkar, Public Health Professional
  9. Sonakshi Agarwal, Labour sector practitioner
  10. Sonal Kellogg, Sabfree Foundation
  11. Srishti Govil, Advocate, New Delhi
  12. Subodh S Gupta, Public Health Professional
  13. Subodh S Gupta, Public Health Professional, Sewagram, Wardha
  14. Sujata Ghotaskar, feminist activist and researcher
  15. Sujata Patel
  16. Sulakshana Nandi, Public Health Researcher, Chhattisgarh
  17. Sumegha Asthana, Public health professional, Delhi
  18. Sumi Krishna
  19. Suneeta Dhar, Activist
  20. Sunita Bandewar, Vidhayak Trust, Pune
  1. Suny Akber, Chennai, TN India
  2. Surbhi Shrivastava, CEHAT, Mumbai
  3. Surekha Garimella, Public health researcher
  4. Swatija Paranjape, Mumbai
  5. Thelma Narayan, Senior Advisor, SOCHARA, Bengaluru
  6. Uma Chakravarti, New Delhi
  7. Unnikrishnan P.M., Chennai
  8. Vaishali Zararia, SAHAJ, Vadodara, Gujarat.
  9. Vani V, New Delhi
  10. Vanita Mukherjee, New Delhi
  11. Vasundhara Rangaswamy, Health Professional, Independent, Gujarat
  12. Vikash Prakash, Azim Premji University, Bangalore
  13. Vineeta Bal, Pune
  14. Y.K Sandhya