Disclose steps taken to convert railway coaches into isolation facilities: HC to Centre

The Bombay high court (HC) on Tuesday directed the central government to file an affidavit, indicating the steps taken by the Western Railway (WR) and Central Railway

The Bombay high court (HC) on Tuesday directed the central government to file an affidavit, indicating the steps taken by the Western Railway (WR) and Central Railway (CR) to convert coaches into isolation or quarantine centres. A division bench of chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice MS Karnik also asked the Centre to respond why intensive care unit (ICU) facilities in coaches were not considered necessary. The bench has given a week’s time for the Centre to file the affidavit.

HT Image

The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by activist Naresh Kapoor, complaining about the shortage of beds for treatment of Covid-19 and non-Covid patients across the city. He also alleged that the “inefficient management” of the coronavirus outbreak has resulted in the complete breakdown of the healthcare system within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, amid the alarming rate at which the Covid-19 cases were rising.

The court, however, rejected the petitioner’s prayer for a direction to order the state and civic authorities to reopen all hospitals, nursing homes and dispensaries, which have been closed either due to departmental orders or judicial orders, to meet the needs of patients who have been tested positive for Covid-19 as those suffering from other ailments.

The bench said it has been noticed in the decision of another case that facilities for treating Covid-19 as well as non-Covid patients presently at the disposal of the state and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) were not that insufficient so as to call for an order to reopen closed hospitals, nursing homes and dispensaries.

“Further, granting the prayer would amount to tinkering with administrative or judicial orders. Such course is plainly impermissible,” said the bench.

The judges felt that opening up more facilities should be best left to the executive and if the situation so demands, the state or the corporation, keeping in mind the medical protocol required at the moment, may explore ways and means to make more facilities available at its disposal, other than reopening such closed facilities.

With regards to Kapoor’s plea for rapid antigen detection test for Covid-19, advocate general Ashutosh Kumbhakoni informed the court that the Maharashtra health department has approved the use of Standard Q Covid-19 Ag detection kits, which can detect presence of Sars-Cov-2 antigens in a patient in 15 to 30 minutes.

The court has now posted Kapoor’s PIL for further hearing on July 2.