HYDERABAD: The High Court of Telangana on Wednesday, September 15, 2021, asked Director of Public Health and Family Welfare Dr G Srinivasa Rao, Director of Medical Education and the Union Health Ministry and all the authorities concerned to submit the latest status report on Covid-19 by September 22.
While hearing a batch of PILs on Covid-19, the court alerted the State by saying: “Preparedness of the State is very important. You have to anticipate the problem, prepare action plan and implement it. This is the job of the administration, not the job of the Court. If the State does not perform its job, then the court will step in and the courts expect the government to do its job”.
The bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice M S Ramchandra Rao and Justice T Vinod Kumar, expressed its dismay over the delay on the part of the government in furnishing the action plan and to tackle the predicted third wave of Coronavirus in the State. Despite being issued a detailed order on September 8, the action plan has not been submitted. “We want the State to take this issue seriously,” the bench said.
Ganesh festival has commenced, now schools also partially opened which may lead to more infections among children, winter season is fast approaching during which there will be a spike in dengue cases due to mosquito menace and still more people are yet to be vaccinated. In view of the above government should anticipate the threat and prepare a plan and enforce it.
“Nilofer hospital is the only hospital designated to treat children for Covid-19. There may be increase of Covid cases among children in districts as most of the districts do not have hospitals to treat children due to which patients will make a bee line to Hyderabad for treatment and the journey of such patients will be deplorable as the recent incessant rains have damaged the roads,” the court observed.
The bench also directed to increase the number of beds, isolation centres and equip hospitals with sufficient medicines in districts, to take care of the children who are the most vulnerable section under the prevailing circumstances. The union government is directed to file an affidavit in relation to the inclusion of the life saving drugs used for treating Covid-19 patients in the list of essential medicines.
Advocate General B S Prasad informed the court that the Expert Committee comprising of 12 designated officers met on July 15 and made some recommendations, including continuing fever survey, people to wear masks, equip hospitals with sufficient medicines and so on. The AG was directed to file an affidavit furnishing the steps taken by the Telangana government in implementing the recommendations of the Expert Committee. The court adjourned batch cases to September 22.