"No Information Available To Public": Patna HC Directs State To Ensure Public Briefing Everyday Disclosing Cogent Covid Related Information To Public

While observing that the people at large do not have the requisite information about availability of covid related facilities, the Patna High Court this week directed Principal Secretary of the State Health Department to bring such information in public domain through media and ensure that "at-least once every day at a fixed time, a press briefing on behalf of the Government is made. While observing that the people at large do not have the requisite information about availability of covid related facilities, the Patna High Court this week directed Principal Secretary of the State Health Department to bring such information in public domain through media and ensure that "at-least once every day at a fixed time, a press briefing on behalf of the Government is made disclosing facts, illustratively, the number of COVID cases, the infrastructure which are available at various places in the State to admit and treat COVID patients and other cogent information which are required to be disseminated to the general public in public interest." Noting that the said data gave a "different picture altogether", the Court observed thus: "If the said data and statistics, as presented, are taken to be correct, the number of beds available in the State of Bihar is much more than the number of patients who require admission in COVID Care Centres, Dedicated COVID Health Centres and Dedicated COVID Hospitals, except for Patna. In view of this, while directing the Principal Secretary, Health Department to bring the aforesaid information in public domain through media and ensure at least one public briefing by the Government everyday, the Court also took note of the issue of scarcity of oxygen in various hospitals in the State as a result of which people were rushing to procure oxygen cylinders.