Himachal Pradesh High Court: A Division Bench of L. Narayana Swamy and Anoop Chitkara JJ., took stock of the situation and laid necessary directions.
The present petition has been filed as the Government of India has directed the State Governments to convert PHCs into 30 bedded ICU hospitals with oxygen facilities and therefore State Government is supposed to submit what steps have been taken to convert these PHCs into ICU hospitals with oxygen facilities.
The Court thus directed “the State Government to make submission as to what steps the State Government has taken to convert these PHCs into ICU hospitals with oxygen facilities.”
The Court further taking stock of the situation regarding RTPCR tests in the State observed if the RTPCR tests are not conducted in war footing i.e. more than twenty to thirty thousand per day then the fatalities will proportionately go higher and by the time the RTPCR test is conducted, the incubation period will exceed and that may go out of control of the Government. The Court held “the Government has again to accelerate its work in combating the COVID-19.”
On submission made by Mr. Ajay Vaidya that some makeshift hospitals with oxygen facilities having 1000 beds have been opened and thus the Court directed “decentralized opening of ICU beds by converting PHCs is of paramount importance.”
Ms. Sneh Bhimta submitted about non-availability of ICU beds in Kullu and Lahul & Spiti, the Court directed “State Government to make submission as to whether ICU beds are provided to the COVID patients in both the aforesaid areas.”[Court on its Own Motion v. State of HP, 2021 SCC OnLine HP 4683, decided on 25-05-2021]
Arunima Bose, Editorial Assistant has reported this brief.
Appearances
Counsel for Petitioner: Mr. B.N. Misra and Ms. Vandana Misra
Counsel for Union: Mr. Balram Sharma
Counsel for State: Mr.Ajay Vaidya
Counsel for the intervener: Mr.Bimal Gupta and Ms. Sneh Bhimta and Ms.Yogesh K. Chandel
