Ensure enough beds, doctors available for Covid-19 patients: Bombay HC

Observing that the people in Nagpur were losing lives to Covid-19 for want of medical aid, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court (HC) on Thursday directed the

Observing that the people in Nagpur were losing lives to Covid-19 for want of medical aid, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court (HC) on Thursday directed the state and civic authorities to ensure enough beds, doctors and para-medical staff are available to treat needy patients.

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The division bench of justice Ravi Deshpande and justice Pushpa Ganediwala also took note of news reports highlighting that patients in serious condition were required to travel from one hospital to another in search of intensive care units, oxygenated beds and ventilators, and directed the authorities to ensure that patients are not required to suffer like this.

“We do not want a situation to occur where patients are required to travel from one hospital to another to secure the position in ICU, ventilated beds or oxygenated beds or due to non-availability of the services of medical and para-medical staff,” the bench said.

HC has directed the government and civic hospitals in Nagpur not to turn down any patient and instead enquire with other government and civic hospitals and help the patient reach the hospital where beds are available.

The bench called upon private doctors and para-medical staff “to rise on the occasion” and make their services available. “Judges and the lawyers have made themselves available 24x7 to serve the causes in pandemic situation, and there would be nothing wrong to expect the medical and para-medical staff to be available 24x7 in this pandemic,” said the bench.

DrArchana Kothari, president of Indian Medical Association, and Dr Anup Marar, convenor of Vidarbha Hospitals Association, responded to the call and assured the bench that they will provide a list of private doctors who can provide their services either by personally attending to patients or through various communication systems like video conferencing, video calls etc.

The list which will be submitted to the Nagpur municipal commissioner by Friday will also contain addresses and contact details of the private doctors.

The court then directed the municipal commissioner to assign duties and responsibilities to private doctors included in the list at various hospitals and Covid care centres.

The bench was hearing two petitions complaining of acute shortage of beds for treatment of Covid-19 patients and a suo motu public interest litigation based on some newspaper reports highlighting shortage of infrastructural facilities for dealing with the pandemic.