HYDERABAD: The Telangana high court tore into the state government for not doing massive testing for Covid-19 following a report in TOI and summoned public health director Dr G Srinivasa Rao to appear before it on Tuesday to explain.
A bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vjaysen Reddy also wondered how the government expected Covid patients from faraway places to rush to Gandhi Hospital in an emergency. It also sought to know as to why medical facilities were not made available to them close to the places where they reside.
Government roped in more teaching hospitals: Prasad
Referring to Monday’s interview of former health secretary Sujatha Rao in TOI where she spoke of less tests in Telangana, the CJ wanted to know why the government was not able to do more.
“What is the point in designating government hospitals in districts as Covid-19 hospitals if you (government) really do not make them functional? How do you expect a poor family from Adilabad to shift their loved ones in distress to Gandhi (hospital) on urgent basis. You (state) have to keep medical facilities available nearer to them,” the bench said. “The government has roped in more teaching hospitals also,” advocate general BS Prasad said. The bench was hearing a PIL filed by Dr R Srivatsan who wanted the court to direct the government to enlist teaching hospitals attached to state-run and private medical colleges on Covid duty. Vasudha Nagaraj, counsel for the petitioner, told the bench that the government had agreed to rope in all the 34 teaching hospitals to treat patients. “Though several government hospitals have been earmarked as Covid-19 hospitals, people are still thronging Gandhi Hospital only,” she said. “Unless one comes with a Covid-19 positive test certificate, the Gandhi authorities are not admitting patients,” she said.
Dealing with another petition filed by Venudhar Reddy questioning private hospitals charging exorbitantly, the judges asked the government as to what it has done to check this. “Even doctors are not spared from this fleecing,” they said, referring to the episode of Dr Sultana at a private hospital in the city. “Private hospitals should rise to the occasion and extend a helping hand,” the bench said.
A bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vjaysen Reddy also wondered how the government expected Covid patients from faraway places to rush to Gandhi Hospital in an emergency. It also sought to know as to why medical facilities were not made available to them close to the places where they reside.
Government roped in more teaching hospitals: Prasad
Referring to Monday’s interview of former health secretary Sujatha Rao in TOI where she spoke of less tests in Telangana, the CJ wanted to know why the government was not able to do more.
“What is the point in designating government hospitals in districts as Covid-19 hospitals if you (government) really do not make them functional? How do you expect a poor family from Adilabad to shift their loved ones in distress to Gandhi (hospital) on urgent basis. You (state) have to keep medical facilities available nearer to them,” the bench said. “The government has roped in more teaching hospitals also,” advocate general BS Prasad said. The bench was hearing a PIL filed by Dr R Srivatsan who wanted the court to direct the government to enlist teaching hospitals attached to state-run and private medical colleges on Covid duty. Vasudha Nagaraj, counsel for the petitioner, told the bench that the government had agreed to rope in all the 34 teaching hospitals to treat patients. “Though several government hospitals have been earmarked as Covid-19 hospitals, people are still thronging Gandhi Hospital only,” she said. “Unless one comes with a Covid-19 positive test certificate, the Gandhi authorities are not admitting patients,” she said.
Dealing with another petition filed by Venudhar Reddy questioning private hospitals charging exorbitantly, the judges asked the government as to what it has done to check this. “Even doctors are not spared from this fleecing,” they said, referring to the episode of Dr Sultana at a private hospital in the city. “Private hospitals should rise to the occasion and extend a helping hand,” the bench said.
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