HYDERABAD: A day after directing the state to ensure strict implementation of ICMR guidelines to tackle the pandemic effectively, the high court on Wednesday issued notices to Telangana, Centre, ICMR, IRDA and drug control authorities for inaction on private hospitals.
The court asked them to respond to a petitioner for failing to act against private hospitals charging exorbitantly from Covid-19 patients. Petitioner J Venudhar Reddy, a resident of Nagole, said the common man was being hit on two counts — one, these hospitals were crippling the common man with high rates and secondly, lack of insurance and spurious drugs.
Assuring the petitioner that the government had promised to come out with a GO to rein in the private hospitals, a bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy said this petition should be clubbed with a batch of Covid-related PILs and posted the case to August 13.
Venudhar also sought inclusion of complete costs for diagnosis and treatment of Covid-19 under various insurance schemes, including Aarogyasri. His counsel Malipeddi Srinivas Reddy told the court about the plight of people caught in the pandemic.
The judges told him that chief secretary Somesh Kumar on Tuesday promised the court that he would bring in the required GOs to rein in private hospitals within one week in the backdrop of the Centre’s guidelines empowering the states to wield the baton.
The bench had directed the CS to appear before the court on August 13 again to brief the progress made in respect of controlling the charges in private hospitals and also about many issues related to controlling the pandemic.
The bench, while hearing another PIL filed by Siva Ganesh Karnati from Uppal, sought to know from the government the number of physically challenged people affected by coronavirus, including the number of deaths. Special secretary Divya Devarajan of the disabled welfare department was present before the court.
The bench directed her to ascertain whether any correlation exists between the immune system and physiology of a physically challenged person. “In case, a correlation between the two exists, then explain the steps the government is taking to strengthen the immunity levels of the persons with disabilities,” the judges asked her.
She told the judges that the department has Rs 3.5 crore funds to cater to the needs of persons with disabilities. “We have kept Rs 2 crore ready with our district officers to meet any urgent need,” she said. At this point, the bench asked her to file a detailed report by August 6.
The court asked them to respond to a petitioner for failing to act against private hospitals charging exorbitantly from Covid-19 patients. Petitioner J Venudhar Reddy, a resident of Nagole, said the common man was being hit on two counts — one, these hospitals were crippling the common man with high rates and secondly, lack of insurance and spurious drugs.
Assuring the petitioner that the government had promised to come out with a GO to rein in the private hospitals, a bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy said this petition should be clubbed with a batch of Covid-related PILs and posted the case to August 13.
Venudhar also sought inclusion of complete costs for diagnosis and treatment of Covid-19 under various insurance schemes, including Aarogyasri. His counsel Malipeddi Srinivas Reddy told the court about the plight of people caught in the pandemic.
The judges told him that chief secretary Somesh Kumar on Tuesday promised the court that he would bring in the required GOs to rein in private hospitals within one week in the backdrop of the Centre’s guidelines empowering the states to wield the baton.
The bench had directed the CS to appear before the court on August 13 again to brief the progress made in respect of controlling the charges in private hospitals and also about many issues related to controlling the pandemic.
The bench, while hearing another PIL filed by Siva Ganesh Karnati from Uppal, sought to know from the government the number of physically challenged people affected by coronavirus, including the number of deaths. Special secretary Divya Devarajan of the disabled welfare department was present before the court.
The bench directed her to ascertain whether any correlation exists between the immune system and physiology of a physically challenged person. “In case, a correlation between the two exists, then explain the steps the government is taking to strengthen the immunity levels of the persons with disabilities,” the judges asked her.
She told the judges that the department has Rs 3.5 crore funds to cater to the needs of persons with disabilities. “We have kept Rs 2 crore ready with our district officers to meet any urgent need,” she said. At this point, the bench asked her to file a detailed report by August 6.
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