“Prayagraj’s Government Hospitals on Verge of Collapse, Victims of ‘Medical Mafias’: Allahabad High Court

In a scathing indictment of the healthcare system in Prayagraj, the Allahabad High Court has raised an alarm over the dismal condition of the city’s government-run hospitals, blaming the growing influence of private “medical mafias” for crippling essential public services.

During a hearing on Friday, Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal came down hard on the condition of Swaroop Rani Nehru (SRN) Hospital, calling it “a mortuary, not a hospital,” and lamented that helpless patients are being misled and diverted by touts—allegedly planted by private players—away from public hospitals to private clinics.

“Prayagraj is under the grip of medical mafias,” the judge remarked, citing a damning report by two amicus curiae appointed by the court, who found poor facilities and missing doctors in the Outpatient Department (OPD) of SRN Hospital.

The court directed that the report be urgently presented to the state’s top leadership, including the chief secretary and even the Chief Minister, if required.

Highlighting the gravity of the situation, Justice Agarwal noted that Prayagraj recently hosted the Mahakumbh in January–February 2025, where over 66 crore pilgrims took a holy dip at the Sangam. Despite the scale of the event, medical facilities were in shambles. “It was by the grace of God that no major medical emergency occurred,” the court observed.

The bench found evidence of a troubling nexus between private medical establishments and officials at SRN Hospital, which it said has “crippled” healthcare services in the city.

The court also criticized local public representatives and ministers from Prayagraj for failing to take meaningful action. “Despite having ministers in the state cabinet, the condition of the city’s key medical institution continues to deteriorate,” it said.

While noting that cities like Lucknow, Kanpur, and Gorakhpur have public hospitals with over 2,000 beds, Prayagraj still struggles with just 1,750 beds—despite being a hub of religious tourism and mass gatherings.

In a bid to restore some accountability, the court directed the District Magistrate to form a monitoring team to investigate faculty members of the medical college suspected of engaging in unauthorized private practice.

The matter has been scheduled for the next hearing on May 29.

News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.