When the Lift Works for Staff but Not for Patients: HC Raises Alarm on Hospital Accessibility
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has stepped in after a worrying complaint that some government hospitals are effectively denying elderly and infirm patients easy access to care because the only working elevator is reserved for doctors and staff. Taking suo motu cognisance, a Division Bench led by Chief Justice G.S. Sandhawalia and Justice Jiya Lal Bhardwaj has opened a public interest petition (CWPIL No. 117 of 2025), flagging the issue as one that strikes at patient dignity and fundamental access to medical services.
The court’s notice follows a representation describing at least one multi-storey hospital where the staff lift runs while the public lift remains out of order, forcing frail patients to climb stairs to reach wards and clinics. The Bench has asked the Health Department’s competent authority to file an affidavit listing all multi-storey government hospitals in the State, the working condition of their lifts, and whether patients have reliable, functioning public access to elevators.
Advocate General Anup Kumar Rattan, assisted by Deputy Advocate General Sidharth Jalta, appeared for the State and assured the court that the problem would be addressed. The High Court has sought a full report on lift availability and functioning, signalling that basic patient convenience and safety cannot be sacrificed because of administration lapses or infrastructure neglect.
The matter is listed for further hearing on December 29, 2025, and the court’s swift involvement sends a clear message: public healthcare facilities must be accessible to those who need them most.
