Implement all orders on Covid-19 PILs or face contempt proceedings, Telangana High Court warns

Hyderabad: The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy, hearing on a batch of PILs on Monday, threatened that it will initiate contempt proceedings against the Principal Secretary, Medical and Health and Dr G.Srinivas Rao, Director of Public Health, for not implementing its series of orders delivered by it during April and May 2020 on Covid-19. The Bench came down heavily on G. Srinivas Rao, Director, Public Health for suppressing and concealing facts and figures while issuing various media bulletins by the State government.

Expressing serious concern over the under-reporting of the Covid-19 cases in the media bulletins issued by the State government, The CJ Bench directed the Director, Public Health G. Srinivas to come with a report on the number of samples collected, samples tested, positive cases found, the number of contacts traced, the number of persons sent to quarantine in The State Quarantine Homes, admissions and discharged Covid-19 patients in each of the hospitals in the State.

Moreover, the Court directed the State government not only to publish such vital data mentioned hereinabove on the Internet but also in the front pages of all newspapers for it is imperative that people should be made aware of the fact that the pandemic is only increasing day in and day out, the bench added.

It is the State's responsibility to enlighten its citizen on the serious circumstances with regard to Corona prevailing in the state and in the absence of such vital information reaching a common citizen, how would you think that such citizen will take precautions from the spread of corona. Suppressing such information from citizens would only aggravate the situation as surreptitiously the disease will only spread its wings but this may lead to Medical Disaster, the bench opined.

Despite the increase in the number of cases, even the Doctors, who are the frontline worriers grappling with Corona patients, are adversely affected by this Virus but the State Government Bulletin suppresses facts and figures from the public, the bench observed.

Chief Justice Bench enquired from the Director as to what is happening in the Gandhi Hospital as the media reports circulated say that the conditions in Gandhi Hospital are horrible. How do you expect anyone to survive and come out of the hospital, the Bench expressed doubts on the hygienic and other conditions prevailing in the Gandhi hospital.

Despite clear orders of this Court, the State government has not commenced testing on dead bodies which are out of the hospital for Corona, it has not yet stepped up testing people for corona yet and if this trend goes on, then the officials have to face the contempt, Chief Justice Bench told Dr G Srinivas Rao.

Advocate General Banda Shivananda Prasad informed the Bench that the State government has carried the issue of testing on dead bodies to Supreme Court and the apex court is yet to hear the issue.

The Bench asked " How is that our order is not being implemented when the SC has not stayed it. By now, it should be implemented and because of your carelessness and negligence, the State Government is promoting Covid-19 spikes. If this is the attitude of the Government then where do we go", CJ opined.

Though Dr Srinivas Rao tried to convince the Court by informing that as per the ICMR guidelines only the tests on dead bodies are conducted but not each and every dead body, because every day, about 900 deaths occur in the State. Every day, 1000 tests are being conducted out of which we are getting 160 cases and due to easing curbs on lockdown, there is a spike in Corona cases.

Chief Justice Bench said what the Government seems to be trying to do is that you are equally guilty because you are an accomplice. You are keeping everything under the carpet. The fact is that our people are dying, the Doctors and the medical staff are affected with corona as sufficient PPEs, gloves, N-95 masks are not provided to them. Moreover, 72 doctors are down with corona and 400 medical and health workers have been sent to quarantine.

Dr G. Srinivas Rao agreed to the proposal and further said that the reason for doctors getting corona positive is that they ventured out of their hostels and got affected and it is not that they have been affected in the hospital while treating patients. Further, he said that apart from regular patients, the doctors are taking care of the corona patients and the hard work and dedication put in by the entire medical fraternity during this Pandemic, should be appreciated.

The High Court CJ Bench directs Director, Public Health to come up with a factual report or face contempt by 18th June 2020.

Give massive publicity to the rising Covid-19 cases in the State: HC

The High Court Division Bench was hearing on a Public Interest Litigation filed by Amrita Aryendra from Hyderabad, aggrieved on the State's action in not parting with such vital information to the citizens when other states are giving it. Moreover, the petitioner also informed that Kerala state is giving all the information cited to its citizens through various print and electronic media, whereas in the Telangana State, such information is not giving such information to its citizens.

The High Court on Monday directed the State government not only to publish the vital data pertaining to the rising Covid-19 cases in the State, in the front pages of all leading daily newspapers but also upload the data on Internet so as to enlighten the citizens about the rampant spread of Corona cases in the State. It is imperative that the people should be made aware of the fact that the Pandemic is only increasing day in and day out. It is for the government to ensure that people should be made aware that they are required to take precautions, necessarily for controlling pandemic Covid-19.

Data on the number of samples collected, samples tested, positive cases found, the number of contacts traced, the number of persons sent to Quarantine in the State Quarantine homes, admissions and discharged Covid-19 patients in each of the hospitals in the State.

The CJ Bench observed that suppressing such information from citizens would only aggravate the situation as clandestine the disease will only spread its wings but this may lead to medical disaster.

Advocate General Banda Shivananda Prasad is directed to file a report with regard to the above by 18th June 2020.

Keep an eye on fees charged by private hospitals treating Covid-19 Patients: HC tells State

The Division Bench headed by the Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan & Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy on Monday heard a Public Interest Litigation filed by Advocate Tirumala Rao, aggrieved on the exorbitant fees charged by private hospitals while extending medical aid.

The High Court Bench directed Advocate General Banda Shivananda Prasad to inform the Court as to whether the State Government is contemplating to put an upper cap on the fees charged by the private hospitals diagnosing and extending treating to Covid-19 patients. In the absence of such an upper cap, there is every possibility that the private hospitals will fleece patients. Till now, the State Government has not taken such a decision.

The CJ Bench while adjudicating the litigation pointed out on a media report which highlighted as to how it fleeced a patient of Rs.24 lakhs for treating Covid-19 attack. What is happening to patients approaching private hospitals, the bench questioned the Advocate General. Advocate General sought time to get detailed information from the State government. The case has been adjourned to June 16.