Go extra mile to treat every patient having Covid symptoms: Bombay HC to medicos

Ramesh Ghaderao, 49, an employee of the law and judiciary department, Mantralaya, succumbed to the Covid-19 infection on April 16, leaving behind his wife and two minor children

Ramesh Ghaderao, 49, an employee of the law and judiciary department, Mantralaya, succumbed to the Covid-19 infection on April 16, leaving behind his wife and two minor children. Though Ghaderao tested negative in the RT-PCR test, which he took on April 10, due to his deteriorating health he underwent a CT scan the very next day. The report showed that he was suffering from 92% of Covid-19 lung infection, having its level at 23 on a scale of 25. The Covid hospital refused to admit and treat him, on the grounds that he had tested negative in the RT-PCR test. After much coaxing and pleading the Covid centre at Thane, Ghaderao was finally admitted. However, it was too late and he passed away.

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In light of the incident, a petition came to be filed in the Bombay high court (HC) on April 26, seeking directions to the authorities to issue orders to hospitals and dedicated Covid centres not to insist on positive RT-PCR reports for getting admitted and treated. The petition filed by advocate Wilson Jaiswal also sought directions to the authorities, to ensure that hospitals and Covid centres admitted patients who had symptoms like cough, cold and fever and start their Covid treatment forthwith.

On May 12, the division bench of chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice Girish Kulkarni, while hearing the petition, was informed by advocates Shekhani Shah, Satyaram Gaud and Rohan Khandelwal for the petitioner that like Ghaderao, Covid patients were being turned away by hospitals and Covid centres for want of an RT-PCR positive report and hence the petition sought a stop to such arbitrariness. The advocates also submitted that as a CT scan report was more accurate hospitals should be directed to accept it.

The bench was also informed by the state that the Centre, through the ministry of health and family welfare, had issued guidelines in that regard on May 8 and the state would be issuing orders accordingly.

On May 19 and 20, additional government pleader Geeta Shastri informed the court that on May 17 the state government had issued orders to hospitals and Covid centres to admit patients showing symptoms and had also ordered setting up of three types of wards for such patients.

On June 2, the bench was apprised that the circular of May 17 had been sent to all hospitals and Covid centres and henceforth patients like Ghaderao would not be turned away.

After hearing the submissions, the bench expressed satisfaction and urged the state government to take strict action against hospitals and medical centres who deny admission to any deserving patient by neglecting his clinical condition merely for want of a positive RT-PCR test report or any other compliance.

“It can never be conceived that any person who has developed any of the common symptoms without any reason would approach for getting admitted in a hospital or medical centre,” the court remarked. The bench also opined that the medical fraternity should go the extra mile and attend to every possible patient who would have symptoms of being infected by the Covid-19 and provide all treatment and after thanking the petitioner for the eye-opener disposed of the petition.