The Bombay High Court on Tuesday directed the State government to inform it about the number of testing labs and mobile checking centres in all districts.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice K.K. Tated was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Khalil Wasta, a fisherman from Ratnagiri district, through advocate Rakesh Bhatkar. The PIL said the population of the district is 16,15,069 and it has six hospitals, of which two are dedicated to treat COVID-19 patients.
The PIL added that till the first week of April, swab samples were being sent to labs in Pune for testing. Later, the Health Department directed samples to be sent to Miraj Hospital in Sangli district, 178 km from Ratnagiri. From Dapoli, the end point of Ratnagiri district, it takes six-and-a-half hours to reach Miraj city, which is situated 237 km away.
The PIL mentioned that owing to the distance, suspected patients in Dapoli are facing delays in sending samples and receiving results. With migrant workers from Ratnagiri returning home, the demand for tests has increased and Miraj Hospital is unable to carry out more than 125 tests at a time, it states.
Mr. Bhatkar told the court about 26 medical colleges and hospitals that meet Indian Council of Medical Research’s guidelines and can conduct COVID-19 tests. However, the government pleader said they do not meet the requirements.
The court said while there are testing labs in Mumbai and Pune, people in other parts of the State are travelling over 100 km for tests. The court expanded the PIL’s scope and sought to know the testing status in all districts and the number of mobile checking centres in rural areas. The matter will be heard on May 29.