Telangana High Court raps government for fudging Covid figures
Telangana High Court
Hyderabad: The High Court flayed the State government for fudging the Covid figures.
The Chief Justice observed that report of the Director of Public Health on Covid-19 related matters is very cleverly drafted. It's not only vague, it gives us wrong information, it makes a wrong statement of the fact.
The Health Department is periodically dipping the number of Covid-19 tests. Our endeavour is to look after the medical needs of our own people. Earlier, in our order, we had asked the explanation of why suddenly the Covid-19 tests had been reduced. You are not given any reason for the sudden dip. Yet your emphatic statement is that there is no reduction in the number of tests conducted in the State, Chief Justice Chauhan stated.
The High Court division bench comprising Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh and Justice Bollam Vijaysen Reddy heard a tag of 22 PILs of Covid-19 matters.
The Court pointed out that the report of Dr G Srinivas Rao, Director of Public Health, Telangana is completely vague. If such false statements are made in the report, the Court will issue a contempt notice, for misleading, misguiding the Court purposefully.
The High Court has said that the second stage corona is having a serious impact on the State of Telangana. The bench pointed out that according to WHO rules, there should be 3 beds for every 1,000 people, but it is not maintained by the State government, the Court said.
The High Court directed that display boards be set up at every government hospital. Corona tests should no longer be misreported, either to the people or to the Court.
The High Court wants to make a graph comparing how Corona cases, deaths and tests are in other States and in our State. Moreover, it is the responsibility of the government to increase the number of existing ventilators in the State.
The High Court said that many people are committing suicide because of Corona fear, it is the responsibility of the government to give them the courage and if possible set up a helpline for such people, the Court added. The High Court directed the government to implement the orders of the High Court and submit a complete report by November 16. The High Court adjourned the matter to November 19.