CHENNAI: The State government on Friday informed the Madras High Court that help desks have been set up at all government hospitals that are treating Covid patients, and are keeping track of all admissions and discharges there.
The court was hearing the month-long missing case of 75-year-old Adikesavan. Justices N Kirubakaran and VM Velumani, while hearing the habeas corpus filed by A Thulasidass, son of Adikesavan of Alandur, passed the interim directions to the corporation counsel to file a detailed report in the next three weeks.
The corporation counsel had submitted that search operations were conducted at all shelters for the homeless, and mortuaries of hospitals, but drew no result.
In the counter submitted by the Joint Commissioner of the city corporation’s health department, the mortuaries, and registers of both admissions and discharges were checked by the staff using Adikesavan’s photograph, at all four major government hospitals.
“The corporation has now established help desks at Kilpauk, Stanley, Omandurar Estate, and the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital and Medical Colleges. These desks will receive patients from the 108 ambulances, and ensure their admission and maintain the records of those at hospitals and quarantine centres,” the affidavit added.
The petitioner’s counsel, meanwhile, contended that the police had so far not filed any report on the CCTV footage or other records collected from various places. “Efforts should also be made in publicising the numbers of these help desks, and photos of the missing person have to be published across to expedite the search,” they contended. The corporation’s counsel agreed to put out the numbers in the public domain.