The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the city government to treat as representation a plea against its direction to private hospitals and nursing homes to reserve 20% of their total beds for COVID-19 patients.
A Bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan did not entertain the petition, by a doctor, as he had not made any representation to the government before approaching the court.
The Bench, however, asked the Delhi government to take a decision as expeditiously as possible and in accordance with the law, rules, regulations and government policy governing such issues.
Centre’s advisory
Anshuman Kumar approached the High Court contending that the Delhi government’s May 24 order was contrary to the Central government’s advisory of March 28 to create exclusive dedicated hospitals or separate blocks within a hospital with separate entry and exit point for management of COVID-19 patients.
The plea said if the May 24 direction to private hospitals and nursing homes to reserve 20% beds for COVID-19 cases was implemented, it would lead to intermingling of COVID-19 patients with non-COVID patients and further spread the infection.
The petition suggested that if dedicated COVID-19 hospitals cannot be set up, then 20% beds be reserved only in those hospitals which have separate blocks for out-patient department (OPD) and in-patient department (IPD) with different exit and entry points.