A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court to protect the interests of taxpayers across the country, praying for a district-wise data collection of Covid-19 patients across the country through a dashboard/web portal. So that Covid-19 patients can register and search for their respective medical requirements along with the appointment of District-wise nodal officers.(Manu Gaur Vs Union of India & Ors)
The petition was listed today before the three-judge bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, L. Nageswara Rao, and S Ravindra Bhat but due to technical difficulties court couldn’t hear the matter, and the same was adjourned to May 13 (Thursday).
The petitioner has prayed for the conversion of religious buildings and infrastructure and social organizations and charitable trust into Covid-19 Care Centers, with an immediate ban to the use of funds they possess, and to be used in Covid-19 relief as this money has been given by the public for social and religious work and in today’s time there is no greater social work and religion than saving the lives of people from this deadly virus.
He also prayed for all the Ayurvedic, Homeopathic, Unani, and Naturopathy hospitals of the country should be converted to Covid-19 Care Centers so that the Covid patients can be easily treated.
Another Prayer for orders to the Central Government, Ministry of Health, Nursing / Medical Council, and other institutions to extend preference (in completing their degrees/courses/certificates) to those medical students/nurses/medical professionals who are going to complete their courses in a year or so if they agree to give their services to Covid-19 patients. In addition, the doctors/nurses who are preparing for their further course or entrance examination should be given priority in the entrance examination on serving the Covid-19 patients, so that the shortage of health workers can be dealt with.
The petition also emphasizes that 100% vaccination of home delivery staff, public transport etc. should be done first along with other health care workers.
The petition also prayed for Covid-19 control room, should be setup in every district or to convert the present police control room, which can make necessary arrangements for the citizens, and according to the provisions of the National Disaster Management Act in the deaths from Covid-19, appropriate compensation should be given to the family members. Because there are reports from all over the country that there is a long wait for corona testing and the states are reducing the test to show the fewer figures of corona patients, as much as the government machinery are refusing to perform the test. Therefore, the provision of punishment should be made against those who refuse to do testing and the statistics of Covid and non-Covid deaths from the previous year should be made public.
This petition also prayed for holding MPs and MLAs accountable with the local administration for the Covid-19 mis-management and for further arrangements in their constituencies (since salaries, allowances and pensions to them are paid from taxpayers’ money). Petition also emphasizes for issuing a guideline for Covid-19 patients to clarify as to who all required a hospital, a Covid-19 care center and / or who requires home isolation in order to avoid any panic and availability of beds may be properly managed for critical patients.
The Petition has been filed in Supreme Court seeking the above-mentioned prayers and will be heard on Thursday.