New Delhi: ‘Reconsider licence suspension of Sanjay Gandhi Hospital’

New Delhi : BJP MP Varun Gandhi asked the Uttar Pradesh government on Friday to reconsider its decision to suspend the licence of the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital in Amethi, saying the “swift suspension” without a thorough investigation was a gross injustice.

In a letter addressed to Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Brajesh Pathak, Gandhi said the suspension has far-reaching implications for the region’s healthcare access, employment and education as a large number of people depend on the hospital for primary healthcare services.

The hospital is named after the father of Varun Gandhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Lok Sabha MP from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh. Congress leader Sonia Gandhi is the chairperson of the Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Trust, which runs the Amethi hospital, while party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are the members of the trust.

“The swift suspension of the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital’s licence in Amethi, without a thorough investigation, is an injustice to all individuals who depend on the institution not only for primary healthcare services but also for their livelihoods.

“While accountability is crucial, it is imperative that principles of fairness and impartiality be upheld,” Gandhi posted on X while sharing a copy of his letter to Pathak. The Congress has also demanded revocation of the decision to suspend the hospital’s licence, to which Pathak said on Thursday that the step was taken after a probe into the death of a woman.

Pathak, who also holds the health portfolio, said action would be taken against all the hospitals functioning illegally or where negligence is found in treating patients. The state health department suspended the hospital’s licence on Monday and put a halt on its OPD and emergency services following a probe into the incident.