KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the Kerala and Karnataka governments to inform the court about the arrangements that could be made for patients in Kasaragod district based on its proximity to hospitals in Karnataka. The court will consider the case on Wednesday.
A Division Bench comprising Justice AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Shaji P
Chaly was hearing a petition filed by the Kerala High Court Advocates Association
seeking a directive to take measures to ensure that the blockades put up by the
Karnataka government on the roads, especially the National Highways, cutting
across the border between the two states are immediately removed.
When the case came up for hearing, PK Navadgi, Advocate General of Karnataka, said it can consider the demand of the Kerala government that Kannur-Iritty-
Koottupuzha-Mangoor-Virajpet route be opened up for transportation of essential
commodities if an appropriate letter is sent by the authorities in Kerala to
the Karnataka Home Department. Then Ranjith Thampan, Additional Advocate General of Kerala, submitted that Karnataka could look into the possibility of opening the Kannur -Iritty-Koottupuzha-Mangoor- Virajpetthe for transportation of essential commodities.
The court then directed the Kannur District Collector to immediately send a
communication to the Secretary, Home Department, Government of Karnataka so that
the matter can be considered by the latter immediately.
The Advocate General of Karnataka further submitted that the Kannur-Iritty-Mananthavady-Sargur-Begur-Nanjangud-Mysore and Kannur-Sulthan Bathery-Gundlupetes-Mysore routes have already been opened for transportation of essential commodities and will continue to be maintained as such through the lockdown period
During the argument, the Karnataka AG informed that hospitals in Mangalore are
overcrowded and could not accommodate patients from Kasaragod. He also
submitted that in this situation, Karnataka may not be compelled to do so.
The AAG Kerala submitted that both Kerala and Karnataka are bound by the directives issued under the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Act, which permitted transport of patients. He said that domicile requirement cannot be a criterion to accord treatment in a hospital. He also pointed out that Mangalore was only at a distance of 15 km from Thalappady.