New Delhi, Oct 15 (UNI) The Supreme Court has issued show-cause notices to 28 states and union Territories for failing to comply with its directions to formulate uniform standards for patient safety in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and Critical Care Units (CCUs) across the country.
A bench comprising Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Justice NK Singh directed the additional chief secretaries or senior-most health department officials of the defaulting states and UTs to personally appear before the court on November 20, along with personally affirmed show-cause affidavits explaining their inaction.
“Notice is issued to the additional chief secretary/senior-most official of the department of health of all states/UTs, as to why action should not be not taken against them for such a casual approach shown towards the court,” the bench observed.
The court made it clear that no excuses would be accepted for non-appearance.
“It is made clear that the officers who have been directed to appear shall not cite any excuse, including any prior engagements or other programmes, which shall be rescheduled to give priority to the order passed today,” the judges stated firmly.
The list of defaulting states and UTs includes Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Mizoram, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Telangana, Tripura, West Bengal, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Ladakh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu.
The matter dates back to 2016, when the court first took cognizance of medical negligence in private hospitals and the absence of uniform ICU and CCU standards. Although the main appeal was dismissed in 2024, the Supreme Court decided to continue monitoring the broader issue of critical care regulation and patient safety.
In a series of subsequent orders, the Court had directed the Centre and all states to collaborate on framing a comprehensive framework for ICU/CCU operations, including admission protocols, treatment norms, staffing, hygiene, and infrastructure.
On August 5, 2025, the Court required every state to convene consultations with stakeholders including major hospitals and to ensure that their top health secretaries personally approved the resolutions.
However, by October 13, the bench noted that more than two dozen states and UTs had either failed to submit their reports or filed them belatedly, despite multiple extensions.
Expressing strong displeasure, the bench remarked that the court’s patience had been tested, “We are more pained than shocked by the casualness shown by various states, that despite over indulgence shown by the court with regard to the exercise, the orders of this court have been taken very lightly by the officers concerned.”
Earlier, to aid the process, the court had constituted a three-member expert committee comprising Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, amicus curiae Karan Bharihoke, and Dr Nitish Naik (professor of cardiology, AIIMS, New Delhi). States were asked to submit their draft reports by September 30 and forward them to the committee by October 5.
While issuing the latest show-cause notices, the court warned that any further non-compliance or submission of perfunctory reports would attract strict action against both the officers and the states concerned.
At the same time, it directed the committee to proceed with deliberations based on the material already received and prepare a draft framework for uniform ICU safety standards.
The matter will now be heard on November 20 when top health officials from across the country are expected to personally appear before the Supreme Court.
