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HC keeps lens on deaths, state seeks time to compile
PATNA The Patna High Court, which has been hearing a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) on Covid management in Bihar, on Tuesday said it was important that every death, Covid or non-Covid, was reported and documented, as it could go a long way in helping the state prepare for the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic
PATNA
The Patna High Court, which has been hearing a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) on Covid management in Bihar, on Tuesday said it was important that every death, Covid or non-Covid, was reported and documented, as it could go a long way in helping the state prepare for the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
Referring to its May 17 order, the bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Sanjay Kumar said the official website for death registration must be updated with information compiled from every village, panchayat, block, district or town. Instead of information regarding the infrastructure available in districts, the correct figure of deaths should be reported as it would give an overall view of the ground situation, the bench said.
The court also wanted to know if there was only one crematorium at Buxar and why the state’s affidavit was silent with regard to burial grounds. “The affidavit is also conspicuously silent as to how many public functionaries related to panchayati Raj institutions have reported deaths in their respective areas within 24 hours, as directed earlier, and why the official website is not updated. Why it is that the digital India programme is not being put to use in Bihar?,” the court asked, adding if the authorities needed time to compile data, that could be granted for the sake of correct and complete information.
The court granted one week to the government for presentation of complete and correct information after advocate general Lalit Kishore said that the chief secretary had directed all the district magistrates for the same and sought 10 days of time.
“Till now, the civil surgeon used to inform the health department regarding Covid death figures in his district. Now, after the court direction, the chief secretary has directed the DMs to furnish all death figures, whether they take place in village, panchayat, block or district town, or at home or in hospitals or dedicated facilities. Separate affidavits will have to filed for each district, starting off with Buxar,” the AG said.
Earlier, the AG said that due to efforts of the court, things had started improving, with positivity rate dropping to two per cent, recovery rate increasing to 97% and number of active cases coming down to 27,000 in less than two months, while “states like Maharashtra, Gujarat etc, with better medical infrastructure, are still battling the pandemic, though they, too, have witnessed significant improvement in the situation”.
The bench said while what the AG’s observation sounded good, the court would not let its guard down and like to maintain the momentum, “as we are preparing ourselves for a situation that may arise six months from now in the form of expected third wave”.
“The government’s affidavit says that bed occupancy in hospitals has come down to 50%, oxygen supply has improved and ventilators are available, even if some are non-functional, as reported in newspapers. But the best way we can serve the residents of the state is by coming up with facts and figures. That is why we said Buxar is a test case with regard to reporting and registration of deaths. It is equally important that deaths are reported,” the bench observed.
The bench said while the state’s stated policy was “test, track and treat”, what percentage of its population was actually being tested. “If 1.25 lakh tests are being conducted in a state with a population over 10 crore, what percentage it comes to population wise compared to Delhi, Maharashtra or other states? The state is working, but it needs to work more, have more equipment and infrastructure,” it said.
The bench was also informed that the state government had withdrawn from the ESIC Hospital, Bihta, where 76 beds were manned by the Army and 50 by the hospital authorities. The court asked if the ESIC hospital under one management would be able to serve better. “Bihta is an important hospital to cater to rural population. With cases of black/white fungus rising, it would require dedicated wards. As is emerging, the cases are rising in rural areas due to indiscriminate use of steroids and drugs by quacks,” the court said.
