3 years, 7 months ago

'Put Your House In Order': Telangana High Court Seeks Strategy To Combat Third Wave Of COVID19; Appreciates Lockdown Implementation By Police

Live Law

The Telangana High Court on Monday asked the State Government to put its house in order and ensure that the directions issued by the Court with respect to Covid-19 issues in the State are complied with scrupulously. Follow all directions and file compliance The Division Bench noted that the State has not filed details regarding steps taken for: Oxygen audit by a Nodal Officer appointed by the State Government; Issuance of a rate chart for critical medical facilities to be implemented uniformly for all private hospitals in the State; Establishment of 14 new laboratories by the middle of May 2021; Creation of toll-free numbers for calling for a hearse with ease; Maintenance of a display Board and uploading of information regarding the number of bodies cremated/buried on a daily basis; Constitution of an Advisory Committee under Section l7 of the Disaster Management Act; Creation of a network in collaboration with NGOs and other Institutions willing to contribute financially and/or with manpower to meet the needs of those living below poverty line, the destitute and the poor; Shifting migrant labour into night shelters, wherever required; etc. The Court has also cautioned the local police to take adequate measures during the relaxed hours of the lockdown, to make the public adhere to the norms of social distancing and COVID appropriate behaviour. Other directions State Government is directed to issue a fresh Government Order, revising the charges for routine ward, oxygen beds, ICU beds, ventilator beds, ambulance charges etc., in private hospitals/ Nursing Homes; State Government is directed to take immediate measures to reconstitute a High Level Task Force for addressing public grievance during pandemic; State is directed to see that those persons who are differently abled, are treated at par with persons suffering with comorbidities are given the same priority in vaccination; State shall consider introducing Drive-in vaccination programmes in populous cities, to expedite the process and make it safe at the same time; State shall ensure that adequate number of mobile testing vans are made available in rural areas where access to testing is difficult and people wanting to be tested are required to travel to far off places, in the absence of any public transport; State shall give the details of the manner in which it is proposing to address the Mucormycosis infection and make adequate medication available to treat the same; State Government shall ensure that the arrears of salaries/wages of the outsourced and contractual staff rendering health services in any Government hospital/Care Centre/Health Facility, are released at the earliest; Director General of Prisons shall ensure that the jail staff and all those who are permitted entry into the jail premises/barracks are regularly tested for COVID-I9 infection as they could be carriers of the infection and in turn, infect the jail inmates; Prison Hospitals shall regularly stock up necessary medicines and life saving drugs, oxygen cylinders etc., that may be required in an emergency for treating inmates infected with the COVID infection.