Delhi High Court Seeks Live Demo Of Hospital Digital Records System, Flags Idle Cancer Equipment
Hearing suo motu petitions on Delhi's government hospitals, the Division Bench asked for a live demo of the NextGen e-Hospital system after GNCTD reported rollout across 38 hospitals.
A Division Bench of the Delhi High Court, hearing three connected writ petitions concerning the state of government hospitals in the capital, directed on 30th June 2026 that a live demonstration of a newly deployed hospital information system be organised for the Court at the next hearing. The bench of Justice Prathiba M. Singh and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora was considering a status report filed by the Government of NCT of Delhi (GNCTD) on the rollout of the NextGen e-Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) across 38 government hospitals. The Court also took note of an amicus curiae report flagging unused medical equipment at the Delhi State Cancer Institute, and directed a senior official overseeing that institute to join the next hearing to explain the position.
Suo Motu Proceedings Over Delhi's Government Hospitals
The order arose in three matters heard together: W.P.(C) 3903/2017 and W.P.(C) 8548/2017, both titled Court On Its Own Motion v. Union of India & Ors., and W.P.(C) 15834/2025, filed by Kutumb through its Trustee. The first two are long-running suo motu petitions registered by the Court itself, with Mr. Ashok Agarwal appearing as amicus curiae in W.P.(C) 8548/2017. The matters were listed before the same Division Bench and heard through hybrid mode. An exemption application, CM APPL. 24496/2026 in W.P.(C) 3903/2017, was allowed and disposed of at the outset, subject to just exceptions.
The Bench recorded that on the last date of hearing, 29th May 2026, it had issued directions on issues that needed to be addressed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and by GNCTD, and had directed GNCTD to file a status report on those issues.
GNCTD's Status Report On Hospital Digitisation
In compliance, an affidavit was filed by Shri Rajesh Kumar, Deputy Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, GNCTD. The affidavit recorded that the NextGen e-Hospital Management Information System had been implemented across 38 named hospitals in Delhi, including Lok Nayak Hospital, Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), Janakpuri Super Speciality Hospital, and both Delhi State Cancer Institutes.
The affidavit further stated that 14 modules under the HMIS platform had been successfully deployed, including the Out-Patient Department (OPD), In-Patient Department (IPD), Medical Records Department (MRD), Laboratory Information System (LIS), Radiology Information System (RIS), and the Online Registration System (ORS), described as facilitating “comprehensive digital healthcare administration.”
On the separate question of ICU bed availability, GNCTD submitted that data on ICU beds for emergencies across Delhi hospitals is accessible through the ‘Delhi ICU Beds Saarthi’ mobile application, already functional on the Google Play Store, though it is stated to be undergoing an upgradation process.
Court Presses For A Live Demonstration
Rather than accept the affidavit's account of deployment on paper, the Bench directed that a live demo of both the NextGen HMIS platform and the ICU Beds Saarthi application be organised for the Court on the next date, to be conducted by a concerned competent official. The Bench also directed that at least two competent officials from any of the 38 listed hospitals join the proceedings online, to inform the Court of shortcomings encountered in implementing the HMIS platform on the ground.
The direction indicates the Court's approach of testing claimed compliance through direct demonstration rather than affidavit assurances alone, and of hearing frontline hospital staff on operational gaps rather than relying solely on departmental submissions.
Amicus Curiae Flags Idle Equipment At Cancer Institute
The order records that a note was circulated by the amicus curiae highlighting serious issues at the Delhi State Cancer Institute, where equipment is lying unused, leading to long delays in treatment. The note attributed the non-utilisation principally to a lack of trained staff. The Bench directed counsel for GNCTD to examine the note and keep a response ready for the next hearing, and further directed that any senior official looking after the administration of the Delhi State Cancer Institute join Court proceedings on that date.
Separately, the Bench dealt with CM APPL. 24495/2026, an application moved by Mr. Sourav Gupta, a resident of Ambedkar Nagar, raising issues concerning Ambedkar Nagar Hospital. The Court directed that the issues Mr. Gupta wished to raise be briefed to the amicus curiae so that they could be placed before the Court through him. The application was disposed of on that basis.
Order
The Bench disposed of CM APPL. 24496/2026 (exemption) and CM APPL. 24495/2026 (Sourav Gupta's application) in the terms recorded above. It directed a live demonstration of the NextGen HMIS platform and the ICU Beds Saarthi application at the next hearing, attendance of at least two officials from any of the 38 listed hospitals, a response from GNCTD counsel on the amicus note regarding unused equipment at the Delhi State Cancer Institute, and attendance of a senior official overseeing that institute. The matters were listed for further hearing on 3rd July 2026.