The Delhi High Court on Tuesday has issued notice to the Delhi Government on a plea seeking direction for proper treatment of COVID/non-COVID patients in hospitals.
A division bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Subramonium Prasad has sought the reply from Delhi Government with regard to the publication of correct number of tests that are being conducted for COVID-19 in Delhi, with number of Positive and Negative cases, on their website.
The plea has been filed by Mr Rakesh Malhotra, who submitted before the court that there have been several instances where non-COVID patients are required to undergo surgery and other emergent procedures in the hospitals and the concerned hospital requires the patients to undergo a COVID-19 test before the said procedure or surgery, but is unable to conduct the test as they are not permitted to do so by the Government.
The applicant further submitted before the Court that the respondents and all the hospitals/nursing homes who have been permitted to treat COVID-19 patients, must publish on their websites, the status of vacancy of beds on a daily basis so that patients are not made run from pillar to post.
The Court following the submissions issued notice to the respondents to file their reply within two days and list the matter for hearing on June 11.
The plea also seek direction to enlarge the number of laboratories that can undertake tests for COVID-19 and ramp up the testing process in respect of asymptomatic and symptomatic patients. But it was informed by the Counsel appearing for the Centre that a similar matter pending consideration in Chief Justice Court on which the Court said, “We do not propose to examine the said relief”.
Read the order here;
W.P.-C-.3031-2020-India Legal Bureau