The Supreme Court will continue hearing on Thursday on a PIL, seeking the top court’s intervention into the awry and dilapidating state of affairs in Maharashtra.
It has been argued that the entire state of machinery of Maharashtra is on the verge of collapse due to onslaught of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in as much as Maharashtra is struggling to provide even basic health facilities to its citizens and a large number of people in the state are dying because of lack of Liquid Medical Oxygen, Vaccination and Remdesivir Injection, which is used for treating critically-ill patients infected with Novel Coronavirus.
The plea has been preferred by Shivshanker Kisanrao Shetakar and filed through Advocate-on-Record Harisha S.R. The same is listed to be heard before the Bench of Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice L. Nageshwar Rao and Justice S. Ravindra Bhat on April 30, 2021.
It has been averred that there has been a tremendous surge in the number of COVID-19 patients in the state and despite utilising all available resources and exploiting the health and medical infrastructure to its core, the state has been unable to meet the pressing demands on account of lack of doctors, Para Medics, Hospital Beds, ICUs and Ventilators, among other infrastructure facilities.
“To tackle the alarming situation, the state government has been constantly approaching the Central Government, seeking support in the form of allocation/supply of more Coronavirus Vaccinations that are under the sole and exclusive control of the Central Government, supply of LMO in the form of oxygen cylinders and also allocation of more doctors and Paramedics, which is the worst-affected state of the country, where daily count of COVID-19 positive patients has been above 60,000,” the petitioners averred.
The petition further said that the Central Government has been acting in utter remiss and insensitivity in as much as not taking any measures to safeguard the rights of the people of Maharashtra.
“India is a federal structure, where not only the State Government, but also the Central Government is equally responsible for safeguarding the life of its citizens. The fundamental rights of the people of the State of Maharashtra, who are citizens of India as enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution – Right to Life, needs to be safeguarded by the Central and the State Government,” it added.
Thereafter, the petitioners have approached this Court, seeking relief by way of issuing a writ in the nature of mandamus directing the Central Government and the State Government to supply:
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- Oxygen cylinders to all Hospitals of State of Maharashtra (Private or Government)
- Vaccines, Remdesivir & other essential drugs to all Hospitals of State of Maharashtra (Private or Govt)
- Team of doctors & para medical emergency equipment from other States in the State of Maharashtra
The plea also seeks for monitoring the steps taken by the Central & State Govt to handle the situation of CoVID 19 pandemic in the State of Maharashtra. - SupremeCourt to hear plea seeking Oxygen cylinders to all Hospitals of State of Maharashtra (Private or Govt)
- Vaccines, Remdesivir & other essential drugs to all Hospitals in Maharashtra (Private or Government)
- Team of doctors & para medical emergency equipment from other states in Maharashtra.