Government doing enough to Tackle COVID-19 cases: High Court

Observing that the AAP Govt has taken adequate steps to deal with access to treatment for seriously-ill Coronavirus patients, Delhi HC on Monday ended its monitoring of the matter.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel & Justice Prateek Jalan noted Delhi Govt’s stand that there has been an increase in number of ambulances, the capacity of helplines to field calls has been augmented, testing facilities ramped up & a plasma bank has also been created to handle COVID-19 cases in Delhi.

The bench disposed of the matter that had been referred to it by another division bench last month, relating to steps taken by AAP Govt to treat seriously-ill corona patients in the city, including ambulances & hospitalisation.

The Court had taken suo motu cognisance of an emotional appeal on video made by a man who lost his mother to Covid-19 after he failed to secure a hospital bed or a ventilator as the helplines remained unresponsive. It had triggered the court’s intervention to plug the gaps in government’s preparation to identify, transport & admit serious patients needing immediate hospitalisation. 

While disposing of the matter, the HC ordered Delhi Govt to ensure that the official orders & directions issued by it & the Court with regard to real-time update of data of availability of beds & ventilators as also conducting tests are followed by the hospitals.

It also directed that the ambulance services, for COVID & non-COVID patients, & the helplines should continue to operate & the nodal officers appointed by Delhi Govt in its hospitals should keep in mind the difficulties of the people.

In an affidavit, the Govt told the Court that more lines were added to its helpline numbers, the number of ambulances were increased to 602 from earlier 334 & of its more than 11 lakh rapid antigen test kits, there is a buffer stock of 8.27 lakh kits, which are being offered free of cost for testing at all Govt hospitals & dispensaries.

It further informed the court that the price of RT/PCR test has been capped at Rs 2,400, while the rapid testing cost has been capped at Rs 450 at private labs, which have been instructed not to refuse home collection of samples.

The High Court appreciated that the State Govt has set up two plasma banks at Lok Nayak Hospital & Institute of Liver & Biliary Sciences, where at present a buffer stock of over 300 plasma is available for plasma therapy that is being provided free of cost.

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