The Supreme Court overturned a 2018 Allahabad High Court ruling mandating Uttar Pradesh officials use government hospitals exclusively, affirming individual freedom of choice and emphasizing policy decisions should be made by the executive.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned a 2018 Allahabad High Court order that required government officials in Uttar Pradesh to seek medical treatment exclusively at government-run hospitals.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar ruled that such directives interfere with policy decisions and restrict individual freedom in choosing medical treatment.
“How can the High Court dictate policy decisions determining where a person must or must not seek treatment? While the intention to improve hospital conditions is commendable, such directives cannot override individual choice,”
the CJI remarked during the hearing.
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The High Court’s Direction No. 11 had mandated that all government officials and public sector employees avail medical care only from government hospitals. It further stipulated that medical expenses incurred at private hospitals would not be reimbursed, except where treatment was unavailable in public hospitals.
The Supreme Court disagreed, stating that government servants might end up receiving priority over ordinary citizens, which could create inequities in healthcare access. Policy-making should remain the prerogative of the executive, and judicial interventions must not overstep their constitutional mandate, the bench observed.
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The Allahabad High Court had issued 21 directions while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning the state’s inadequate healthcare services. The case was initiated by a working-class woman who suffered severe post-delivery complications due to alleged negligence at a government hospital, forcing her to seek costly private treatment.
The Supreme Court has granted petitioners the liberty to file fresh petitions with specific data and facts before the High Court.
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