The Delhi High Court on Wednesday took suo moto cognizance of a video showing failure of help lines number for treatment of COVID-19 in Delhi which was leaked on social media.
Brief facts are as follows that a video-clipping, authored by a person who claims himself to be Dharmendra Bhardwaj is being circulated on social media. In this video, he claims that his mother Shyama Sharma was admitted to Max Patparganj Hospital on 19.05.2020. On 21.05.2020, her Covid-19 test was found to be positive. He claims that the Deputy Medical Superintendant of the said hospital called him and spoke to him on the intercom, and asked him to arrange a ventilator and hospital bed in some other hospital. He claims that he visited several hospitals, but to no avail. Importantly, he claims that he called the Helpline No.1075 on several occasions with no response. On one occasion, he was given the number of DSO, he called the number, but again to no avail. On two other occasions, he was given two other numbers, which too were nonresponsive.
The division bench comprising of Justice Vipin Sanghi & Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar, observed that the video recording raises serious issues of public concern in the present day context. A person who, or whose family or friend is found Covid-19 positive, should be able to call the helplines to not only report such occurrence, but to also seek guidance and assistance with regard to the hospitals to which such patient may be taken – if hospitalisation is necessary keeping in view of the condition of the patient. The helplines should render meaningful and effective help to the callers.
The Court accordingly, took suo moto notice of the said video recording, and directed registration of a PIL on the Courts own Motion. The Court has also appointed Advocate Om Prakash as Amicus Curiae and directed the Central Government, as well as the GNCTD, to file their status reports on all the aspects mentioned in the said video recording by next date of hearing.
The High Court has listed the case for further hearing on 3rd June, 2020.
-India Legal Bureau