Make COVID-19 hospitals disabled-friendly: Telangana High Court
HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Telangana High Court on Thursday directed the state government to install disabled-friendly facilities at all Covid-designated hospitals, testing centres and isolation wards.
Further, the bench directed the State to provide caregivers with monetary allowances and other benefits as mandated by Section 24(3)(i) of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and to implement the guidelines issued by the ICMR and the Centre for Better Healthcare Systems.
The bench also directed the Women and Child Welfare Department to take assistance from the District Welfare officers for collecting data with regard to the number of disabled persons suffering from Covid-19.
It also directed the state to consider creation of a separate scheme for having monetary benefit to the care givers as mandated under the Act.
The bench passed these orders in the PIL filed by advocate Shiva Ganesh Karnati seeking directions to the authorities concerned to sensitise police and other enforcement officials about the special needs of the disabled persons during the prevailing situation of Covid-19 pandemic.
In all, there are about 7.81 lakh physically challenged persons in the State.
The bench posted the matter to August 28 for submitting a detailed action taken report and further hearing.