One man was very very rich in his prime time. But now destiny had turned upside down for him.
He used to do odd works given by lawyer and others. He was alone. He used to sleep in shelters for poor (Revabai Dharmashala) at night.
One day he knocked at door of this lawyer. He was shivering with fever.
The lawyer gave him food, rest and treatment at private clinic.
It was necessary, to admit him to hospital. Hospital authority asked lawyer if he was a relative of poor man.
Lawyer said no. Then Hospital authority said no...
.. ... we cannot admit him, if we admit people without relatives, we get into legal trouble, they said.
The lawyer threatened... "You will get into bigger legal troubles if you will refuse to admit this person. I will have to file petition in Gujarat High Court against you."
Finally, the hospital gave in. The poor and relativeless man was admitted in Hospital.
Treated.
After he was discharged, the lawyer decided to put him in some old age home.
He was willing to deposit all charges payable to old age homes. But all old age homes refused to admit him.
They said they need name and address of some relative, before they can admit any old person in old age home.
There are no old age home for old men who have no relatives.
Finally, the lawyer found an old age home in Ahmedabad, where two of its trustees were lawyers. He talked with these lawyers. They admitted this old man in their old age home.
The name of this lawyer is Prakash Pathak. He is a practising lawyer in Gujarat High Court.
Legal Point;
Hospitals and Old Age Homes cannot refuse admission to a person without any relatives. They can admit them with intimation or caveat to police. It is duty of police to check to ensure that this person is not an absconding criminal, or a foreigner, or some suspect.
Some courts need to give some directions on this issue.
Haresh Raichura
1095
