Gujarat is on the brink of a serious medical crisis. Gujarat High Court admits a suo-moto PIL. HC directs government to take testing and lockdown seriously.
By: Vipulesh Vaidya
@vipulbv
Mumbai: Exasperated over the state governments policy in tackling rampant Covid-19 pandemic Gujarat High Court on Monday in a stinging observation remarked that the “state is heading towards a health emergency of sorts” and directed the government to ramp up testing and think about lockdown. In response the Gujarat government argued that it did not intend to impose a lockdown. Clearly dissatisfied over the government response the Gujarat HC posted next hearing on Thursday.
Chief Justice Vikram Nath said that media reports indicate that the State is heading towards a health emergency and passed an order in this regard registering the suo-moto PIL titled “In Regd: Uncontrolled Upsurge and Serious Management Issues in COVID Control.”
Hearing on suo-moto PIL on the COVID-19 situation in the state on Monday morning. The chief justice observed that while it takes 4-5 days for the common man to get the report, officers and VIPs can get RT-PCR report within hours. He said that sample collection and testing should be faster while adding that there’s no RT-PCR testing centre in taluka and small villages.
“We are not happy with some of the policies of the state government,” the Chief Justice said. These policies need to be revised … You know this and we have already signalled this before. The Chief Justice also slammed the central government’s counsel and said, “If a state cannot take the right decision, why can’t the central government give proper guidance to the state in times of pandemic?
“The court also said that whatever action is to be taken by April 14, state should mention it in the affidavit. It cannot be said that there is no truth in the reports coming in the media. The media does responsible journalism. A further hearing will be held on April 15.
The Gujarat HC suggested ways to curb Covid-19 cases in the state and instructed the state to cap number of people at weddings at 50, make booth at housing societies to check people’s health, take help of religious centres that can provide Covid care centre/isolation facility. A Notice served on the Gujarat Chief Secretary, Health Secretary, Union Home and Health Secretary by the High Court
Gujarat reported 5,469 new cases of Coronavirus on Sunday, its biggest single-day spike since the beginning of the pandemic, which took its caseload to 3,47,495, the health department said. The death toll due to the virus went up to 4,800 as 54 patients succumbed to the infection during the day.
Defending the state government in the HC Advocate General Kamal Trivedi argued that the government does not intend to impose lockdown in state and added that the state government and the entire administration are working effectively to control the Covid-19 pandemic in state.
Health department personnel are active 24×7 Doctors are playing a remarkable role and expert doctors are guiding the society. A total of 71021 beds are available in the state. There are 1,127 Covid Dedicated Hospitals functioning in the state today. Remdesivir injections were distributed for charity in Surat which was meant to help the people and was used only for the needy.
He said that last year lockdown was a decision of the Central government but lockdown is not a solution. Millions will migrate. Daily-wagers will have to suffer a lot.
He tried to compare other states with Gujarat saying Delhi also has more than 10 thousand cases in other states of the country.
Gujarat High Court Chief Justice Vikram Nath said that this court does not have any concern to what happens in other states. We are concerned about what is going on in Gujarat. Why is this situation in state even though we are so modern?
Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court raised some very important question like, why is Remdesivir not available in private hospitals? There was a long queue outside Zydus Hospitals. Why does one agency have all the control? As far as we know, there is a sufficient quantity of injections and medicines available in Gujarat.
