Telangana government not keen on containing Covid-19: High Court

The High Court on Wednesday directed the Superintendents of Gandhi Hospital, NIMS, Fever Hospital, King Koti Government Hospital, to furnish information as to how many PPE kits, gloves, N-95 masks and other medical equipment is stocked in their hospitals and how much has been distributed to the doctors and medical staff fighting corona.

The Bench also directed the Superintendent, Gandhi Hospital and the Director of Health Dr Srinivas Rao to appear before it on Thursday duly equipped with the above information and apprise the court on the present situation embroiling in the Gandhi Hospital where the junior doctors have resorted to strike for the last 15 days, with the grievance that the Gandhi Hospital is overloaded with corona positive patients and in the absence of supply of sufficient quality medical gears to them.

Rather it has become impossible for them to extend medical aid to these patients and adding to the existing problems, the recent attack of the relatives of a covid positive patient on the doctors in Gandhi Hospital has further aggravated the situation.

The High Court Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice Bollam Vijaysen Reddy was hearing public interest litigation addressed by an advocate Sameer Ahmed seeking that the doctors and the medical staff in all Government hospitals are not provided with quality and a sufficient number of medical gears creating hurdles for them in performing their duties treating corona patients.

During the adjudication, CJ Raghavendra Singh Chauhan said Coronavirus has returned to all the 33 districts in the Telangana State including Nalgonda and Suryapet, where there were no cases earlier and now the entire 33 districts are caught up in Corona.

The concerned authorities at the Centre are saying that the number of corona tests carried out in Telangana is too less when compared to other states and that shows that the Telangana State is taking up very less number of tests as reported in the press, on Tuesday only 200 corona cases were discovered in Telangana whereas nationwide the number of cases discovered was 2300, CJ added.

Not only the Central government but the European countries are saying that Telangana is testing very less and is hiding the factual figures on corona cases. Telangana High Court has been requesting the State Government for the last three weeks to kindly strengthen the medical infrastructure in the Government hospitals and asked the rationale behind the decision of the State Government in designating only Gandhi hospital to treat Covid-19 patients.

From the media reports, it is learnt that NIMS hospital is also designated to treat Covid-19 patients, but very few patients are approaching NIMS hospital for treatment and the Bench asked as to why patients are not going to NIMS.

The Bench observed that Director of Health Dr G Srinivas Rao, redundantly informs this Court that the State Government has ordered for 7 lakhs PPE kits and almost all the hospitals are equipped with sufficient PPE kits but from the media reports it is learnt that the doctors in the Gandhi Hospital, once the PPE Kit is used by the doctor in a day, is later transferred to the other medical staff and how can this be possible which goes contrary to the statement made by the Director, Public Health, questioned the Bench.

Taking a serious note on the earlier contentions of Dr G Srinivas Rao, Chief Justice Chauhan said that this Court is not concerned with the stocks of medical equipment available with the hospitals, but it is concerned with the medical equipment distributed to its staff in fighting coronavirus. In fact, the situation in the State is going from bad to worse and the state of preparedness is not sufficient to tackle coronavirus.

Moreover, The Bench observed that 72 Doctors are down with Covid-19 and 400 medical staff personnel are sent to quarantine and going by this fact, this Court is more concerned on the health and safety of our Doctors, who are the front line warriors in fighting corona.

Further, not even sufficient police personnel are deputed at the hospitals where corona patients are treated due to which the doctors are being bashed up by the relatives of the Covid-19 patients and that is the reason for triggering the strike by junior doctors in the Gandhi Hospital. When the Judges are provided with security personnel in front of the courts, why not the Doctors, who are not playing a vital role in grappling with the coronavirus in the country, CJ questioned Advocate General.

Chief Justice RS Chauhan said that I am sorry to say that the State Government has certainly lost interest and zeal in containing Covid-19 in the Telangana State and it is ready to throw in the towel with a clear message that everyone should fend for yourselves and this is a strange attitude of the Government.

The Government continues to ignore High Court orders and if the Government wants this Court to get tougher, we will get tough when our orders are ignored. Moreover, Chief Justice pointed out the same lacunae which occurred on the earlier occasions, rather fudged and juggled figures depicted while issuing Health Bulletins by the State Government.

When compared to other states, the Telangana State has less number of cases every day because the number of tests carried out are very less in spite of our repeated orders to go for more number of tests. Why is it that the Government is not sending its medical staff to test people door to door, CJ questioned.

Advocate General Banda Shivananda Prasad informed the Bench that a batch of PILs on similar issues are slated to be listed before CJ Bench tomorrow and all the information sought by the court will be furnished tomorrow.

Further, Advocate General requested the Bench to permit Dr Srinivas Rao, Director, Public Health and Superintendent of Gandhi Hospital to address the court from their offices only through Video conferencing as they are busy in their work, rather Dr G. Srinivas Rao is also affected with mild fever.

Advocate General further informed the Bench that in the last 10 days, the State Government has taken up 50,000 tests after the High Court directed the State Government to go for more tests.

The Case has been adjourned to Thursday with a tag of similar prayers.