Uttarakhand Government Hospital Deficiencies — Fill Specialist 545 Vacancies in State Hospitals & Audit Facilities
The petition alleges systemic breakdowns in Uttarakhand’s public healthcare system, including very high specialist-doctor vacancies, non-functional diagnostic and emergency facilities, unreliable power backup, and heavy patient referrals from government hospitals. It relies on RTI disclosures and media reports to argue that these are not isolated lapses but statewide deficiencies that particularly harm poorer patients and residents of remote hill regions. Judicial intervention was sought on the ground that these failures undermine timely access to treatment and the right to life and health. The petition broadly asks for time-bound recruitment, functional audits of hospitals and backup systems, scrutiny of fund utilisation and referral patterns, and a monitored statewide improvement plan.
Petition to be filed.
The PIL states that official information dated 30.09.2026 showed 545 vacancies out of 840 sanctioned specialist doctor posts in government healthcare institutions across Uttarakhand, including 346 vacancies out of 401 sanctioned posts in Community Health Centres. It cites district-level shortages, including very high vacancy levels in Haridwar and complete vacancies in some CHCs in Almora and Pithoragarh. The petition also relies on RTI information dated 26.09.2026 stating that 52,942 patients were referred from government hospitals during financial year 2025–26, and on RTI information dated 23.09.2026 regarding reported allocation of ₹1,411.50 lakh for emergency medical facilities against expenditure of ₹82.12 lakh. Media reports cited by the petitioner refer to absent specialists, non-operational CT scan facilities, and an incident at CHC Didihat where patients were reportedly treated using mobile-phone torchlight due to power backup failures. The petitioner states that a representation was submitted to health authorities on 02.10.2026 before filing the PIL.
Whether systemic deficiencies in Uttarakhand’s government healthcare institutions—especially large-scale specialist vacancies, non-functional equipment and emergency infrastructure, unreliable power backup, high patient referrals, and apparent underutilisation of allocated funds—require court-monitored statewide corrective action under Article 226 to protect the rights to life and health.
- 01Direction to fill within a stipulated timeframe all 545 vacant specialist doctor posts out of 840 sanctioned posts across District Hospitals, Sub-District Hospitals and Community Health Centres throughout Uttarakhand, and ensure availability of essential specialist, diagnostic, surgical and emergency services.
- 02Direction to conduct a statewide functional audit of government hospitals, medical equipment, electricity supply and power backup systems, including investigation into the reported Didihat incident, and to ensure immediate repair, operationalisation and maintenance of deficient facilities.
- 03Direction to independently audit the reported allocation of ₹1,411.50 lakh against expenditure of ₹82.12 lakh on emergency medical facilities and 52,942 patient referrals during 2025–26, including examination of causes, outcomes, preventable deaths if any, and accountability for established negligence or irregularities.
- 04Direction to implement a time-bound statewide healthcare improvement plan and SOP covering specialist availability, emergency infrastructure, power backup, effective fund utilisation and prevention of avoidable referrals, with periodic compliance reports before the High Court.
- 05Interim direction to conduct an immediate statewide inspection of essential emergency medical facilities and power backup systems in District Hospitals, Sub-District Hospitals and Community Health Centres, rectify deficiencies, ensure uninterrupted emergency services and submit a time-bound compliance report.
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