HC declines plea seeking mandatory plasma donation

The Delhi High Court declined to entertain a plea that sought to make obtaining plasma from patients who had recovered from Covid-19, either at home or at a hospital,

The Delhi High Court declined to entertain a plea that sought to make obtaining plasma from patients who had recovered from Covid-19, either at home or at a hospital, mandatory. It asked the Delhi government to treat the plea as representation.

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A bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan said that people could not be coerced to give an undertaking to donate plasma before receiving treatment for Covid-19 and it had to be voluntary.

“We cannot force people to donate plasma. Treatment cannot be forceful. What kind of world we are imagining?” Justice Jalan remarked during the hearing.

Appearing for the petitioner, his counsel claimed that the Centre and Delhi government were not taking effective steps to ensure sufficient availability of plasma to treat Covid-19 patients.

However, the court said that it could not pass such directions and added, “Suffice it to say [the plea] would be treated as representation on the basis of the law and procedure. The respondent shall also look into the suggestion of the petitioner in accordance with the rules and regulations and procedure of the government.”