HYDERABAD: A division bench of Telangana High Court on Friday asked the State government as to why it was not conducting more number of tests. Referring to Covid-19 cases in the United States, the bench observed that the US initially neglected conducting tests, but after the death of a White House executive, it started having more number of tests.
The bench, comprising Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy, directed the State government to submit details of its policy decision regarding conduct of tests of only persons with primary symptoms and restrictions on taking blood samples of dead persons. If a person has died due to Coronavirus, there is scope for spread of the virus in society if no tests are conducted on his primary contacts and other contacts as well, the bench opined.
HC asks TS why the dead aren’t being tested
The bench passed this order in the PIL filed by Telangana Jana Samithi vice-president Prof PL Vishweshwar Rao, challenging the orders issued by the State Commissioner and Director of Medical and Health to not collect samples from dead bodies for Covid-19 tests.
Petitioner’s counsel Chikkudu Prabhakar submitted that there is no mention in the WHO and ICMR guidelines regarding conduct of Covid-19 test on blood samples of dead persons. As per WHO, a person has to be tested, traced, isolated or treated for the disease. The State government is not taking the initiative to take up massive testing on people residing in 37 containment zones in Hyderabad city.
The bench then sought to know from the government as to why it is not asking its health officials to test blood samples from those who died. The bench opined that if tests are not done on the dead, then the cause of death will not be known. The bench posted the matter to May 14 for further hearing.