Ex-teacher seeks medical reimbursement from DPS

New Delhi -- The Delhi High Court has sought responses from the state government and the Delhi Public School (DPS) Society on a suit by a former teacher who has claimed Rs 1.5 million in medical reimbursement for treatment of her breast cancer.

While issuing notices Tuesday after preliminary arguments on former teacher Vibha Kapur's plea, Justice Hima Kohli asked Delhi's director of education and DPS Society's chairman to file their replies by April 3.

Kapoor pleaded to the court that she had ended up incurring an expense of Rs 1.5 million since June 28, 2003, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
She said she was entitled to reimbursement of medical bills under Section 10 of the Delhi School Education Act.

Kapoor said she joined DPS, Mathura Road in 1995, but was sent to Doha on deputation from March 2001 to Aug 30, 2003.

During her last annual leave in India between June 2003 to August 30, 2003, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had officially informed the DPS Society about her illness on June 28, 2003.

At this the DPS Society terminated her deputation at Doha branch of the school and told her to join at its Mathura Road branch, she said.

She added that she, however, had to take medical leave a day after joining the Mathura Road branch of the school on Sept 1, 2003 owing to her worsening health condition.

After recovering temporarily, she worked at DPS, Mathura Road between March 1, 2004 to Nov 4, 2005, but with her illness relapsing, she found herself bedridden as she was suffering from the terminal stage of the disease, she pleaded in her petition.

She contended that the school authorities have ignored her claim of medical reimbursements despite her producing the medical bills and reminding them repeatedly.

She also told the court that the school has failed in paying even her salary worth Rs 250,000 for two and half months, which was due to her during the period she was on leave from DPS, Doha. She was getting Rs 100,000 per month during her tenure at Doha.

The petition prayed the court direct the DPS Society to release Rs 500,000 immediately for meeting her medical expenses pending disposal of her plea.