E-Paper
Look into viability of complete lockdown in worst Covid-hit districts: HC tells UP govt
The Allahabad High Court directed the state government on Tuesday to look into the viability of a complete lockdown in the worst Covid-19 hit districts of the state for at least two to three weeks and to restrict public gatherings to 50 people
The Allahabad High Court directed the state government on Tuesday to look into the viability of a complete lockdown in the worst Covid-19 hit districts of the state for at least two to three weeks and to restrict public gatherings to 50 people.
“The surge has absolutely paralysed public life and all the medical aid systems have reached a stage of complete saturation. We have been informed that Covid hospitals are flooded with patients and there is a shortage of both manpower and facilities,” the HC bench comprising justices Siddhartha Varma and Ajit Kumar observed. The bench passed the order on a suo motu public interest litigation petition (PIL) dealing with the condition of quarantine centres of the state and treatment of Covid-19 patients.
“The situation is so alarming that if it is not handled carefully and cautiously, we may head towards a stage of a complete collapse of the public health system,” it added.
The court also directed the Central as well as the state government to ensure sufficient production of Remdesivir by making raw material available to pharmaceutical companies, ensure its supply in the open market and take stern action against those who were hoarding and black marketing it.
“While we insist on emergency purchases of BiPAP machines (a kind of ventilator) and high flow cannula masks to meet the demands of patients who may even be lying in the corridors of Covid hospitals/centres, we direct the government to acquire open places in the city areas of districts that are worst-hit in the state to set up temporary level 1 hospital in a makeshift structure,” the bench directed.
The bench went on to observe, “Arrange manpower on contract basis immediately to serve all those admitted to temporary level 1 Covid hospitals/centres. We also direct immediate purchase and supply of BiPAP machine and high flow cannula masks in ambulances of all the district hospitals and level 2 and level 3 hospitals of districts like Prayagraj, Lucknow, Varanasi, Kanpur and Gorakhpur, where Covid infection has been widely spread.”
“We have been informed that a new Covid testing machine (cobas) is not functioning for want of testing kit. We direct the state government to provide/arrange for testing kits for this machine at Moti Lal Nehru College, Prayagraj, within 24 hours,” the court stated.
The court asked the state government to vigorously carry out the immunisation programme in the state.
On the medical needs of non-Covid patients, the bench said, “We must not forget that people suffer from various other diseases and so they may not only need urgent medical help but intensive care admission as well.” The court directed the state government to buy more ICU beds for hospitals.
“We must give priority to public health over elections and the government is expected to streamline every department of public health and public care in the light of the observations made hereinabove,” said the bench while fixing April 19 as the next date of hearing in the case.
During the course of the hearing, some lawyers complained that health officials were not conducting the Covid-19 test properly to show fewer patients and that samples were kept pending for test for more than 12 hours.
