Supreme Court today heard a took Suo Motu plea on the deplorable condition of treatment of Covid-19 patients in Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Justice Ashok Bhushan led the bench comprising Justices S K Kaul and M R Shah. Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain appeared on behalf of the Delhi government. He told the Supreme Court that the Delhi government is committed to patient care, dignified management of the dead and increasing the number of tests in the state.
[SUO MOTU COGNISANCE OF PROPER COVID19 TREATMENT AND DIGNIFIED HANDLING OF THE DEAD]
— Bar & Bench (@barandbench) June 17, 2020
Supreme Court bench led by J Ashok Bhushan hears the suo motu plea where it had taken note of the deplotable condition of COVID19 treatment in Delhi, Maharashtra, WB, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat pic.twitter.com/6EawEWw0At
Supreme Court questioned affidavit submitted by Delhi government
Justice Bhushan asked ASG that his affidavit shows everything is excellent in Delhi. If that is so, why are there so many reports of mismanagement? Jain replied that the government is not saying everything is perfect. They are taking the necessary steps to improve the situation and increasing the number of tests as well.
Don’t shoot the messenger
The Supreme Court showed displeasure over the FIR filed against a doctor for video-taping and disclosing the grim situation in a government hospital in Delhi. Supreme Court warned the Delhi government not to shoot the messenger. The court asked why the government suspended the doctor who was employed in a north Delhi hospital and filed an FIR against him for sharing the video. The court added that the authorities should immediately stop harassing the doctor.
The top court said that doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals are at Corona War. The government must protect them. If the government does not treat the soldiers well, how will we win the war, the court asked. Justice Bhushan said that the government could not try to hide the numbers and in no circumstances, they can shoot the messenger. Justice MR Shah said that it seems the government does not want the truth to come out to which Justice Bhushan added that the Delhi government is giving out the wrong signal to the public.
IAS officer should not manage health desks
When Jain told the court that the government has set up health desks, the court replied that an IAS officer has no authority to supervise a hospital. The court asked who is handling the help desks. Someone qualified to manage health desks should look into this matter and take necessary steps. Jain informed the court that a high power committee had been formed after Arvind Kejriwal and Home Minister Amit Shah met to discuss the Covid-19 situation in Delhi.
During the hearing, the court mentioned that the patients are being released after four and ten days without testing asymptomatic people. It is happening in the hospitals in Ahmedabad too. The court has set 19th June as the next day of the hearing and has asked the Delhi government to submit a “better” affidavit.
