Plea for affordable drug listed 57 times in High Court, patient dies before hearing
The Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance after a breast cancer patient died while her plea for reducing the price of a life-saving drug remained pending in the Kerala High Court.
The Supreme Court on Friday took suo motu cognisance of a prolonged delay in the Kerala High Court's hearing of a petition seeking a reduction in the price of a life-saving breast cancer drug, after the woman who had filed the plea died before her case could be decided.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant heard the matter after treating a letter highlighting the delay as a writ petition and issued notice to the Centre.
During the hearing, counsel for the petitioner informed the court that the matter had been pending in the Kerala High Court for nearly four years and had been listed for hearing 57 times without any final adjudication. The lawyer also told the Bench that the woman petitioner had since died, saying it was now "too late" for her.
The petition, filed in June 2022, had sought a reduction in the cost of a life-saving drug used in the treatment of breast cancer. However, no final decision was delivered before the petitioner's death.
Despite the woman's demise, the Kerala High Court declined to close the case, observing that the issue extended beyond an individual litigant and affected all patients who required access to the expensive medication.
The matter gained renewed attention after a letter was writtem to the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court seeking an urgent hearing. Copies of the letter were also sent to President Droupadi Murmu and CJI Surya Kant.
Acting on the communication, the CJI took suo motu cognisance of the issue and listed the matter before the Supreme Court for hearing on Friday, following which the court issued notice to the Centre.
The Supreme Court on Friday took suo motu cognisance of a prolonged delay in the Kerala High Court's hearing of a petition seeking a reduction in the price of a life-saving breast cancer drug, after the woman who had filed the plea died before her case could be decided.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant heard the matter after treating a letter highlighting the delay as a writ petition and issued notice to the Centre.
During the hearing, counsel for the petitioner informed the court that the matter had been pending in the Kerala High Court for nearly four years and had been listed for hearing 57 times without any final adjudication. The lawyer also told the Bench that the woman petitioner had since died, saying it was now "too late" for her.
The petition, filed in June 2022, had sought a reduction in the cost of a life-saving drug used in the treatment of breast cancer. However, no final decision was delivered before the petitioner's death.
Despite the woman's demise, the Kerala High Court declined to close the case, observing that the issue extended beyond an individual litigant and affected all patients who required access to the expensive medication.
The matter gained renewed attention after a letter was writtem to the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court seeking an urgent hearing. Copies of the letter were also sent to President Droupadi Murmu and CJI Surya Kant.
Acting on the communication, the CJI took suo motu cognisance of the issue and listed the matter before the Supreme Court for hearing on Friday, following which the court issued notice to the Centre.
The Supreme Court on Friday took suo motu cognisance of a prolonged delay in the Kerala High Court's hearing of a petition seeking a reduction in the price of a life-saving breast cancer drug, after the woman who had filed the plea died before her case could be decided.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant heard the matter after treating a letter highlighting the delay as a writ petition and issued notice to the Centre.
During the hearing, counsel for the petitioner informed the court that the matter had been pending in the Kerala High Court for nearly four years and had been listed for hearing 57 times without any final adjudication. The lawyer also told the Bench that the woman petitioner had since died, saying it was now "too late" for her.
The petition, filed in June 2022, had sought a reduction in the cost of a life-saving drug used in the treatment of breast cancer. However, no final decision was delivered before the petitioner's death.
Despite the woman's demise, the Kerala High Court declined to close the case, observing that the issue extended beyond an individual litigant and affected all patients who required access to the expensive medication.
The matter gained renewed attention after a letter was writtem to the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court seeking an urgent hearing. Copies of the letter were also sent to President Droupadi Murmu and CJI Surya Kant.
Acting on the communication, the CJI took suo motu cognisance of the issue and listed the matter before the Supreme Court for hearing on Friday, following which the court issued notice to the Centre.
