Jumbo Covid hospital: HC warns of summoning chief secretary

NAGPUR: Slamming Maharashtra government over inordinately delaying 1,000-bed jumbo Covid hospital at Mankapur indoor stadium, the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court on Tuesday warned of summoning chief secretary if no decision is taken within a week.
Expressing anguish over severe bed shortage leading to a spate of deaths, the division bench comprising justices Ravi Deshpande and Pushpa Ganediwala directed private hospitals and nursing homes to provide list of their paramedical staff to the government for utilizing their services for Covid patients within two days. “Else, HC would be constrained to issue a bailable warrant to secure their presence,” they said.
Censuring the government for not rising to the occasion to reduce death rate, the bench expressed surprise over its failure to respond to Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) proposal on the much-hyped hospital.
“The city’s situation is dreadful and the death rate is increasing day by day. Since mortuaries are full, there is a queue at crematoriums. The patients are not getting ventilators and oxygenated beds. The situation is becoming ferocious. We direct the government to take a decision on NMC’s proposal within a week. If no action is taken, we direct the chief secretary to personally remain present to make a statement and explain difficulties in discharging duties,” the bench said.
The court’s ultimatum came while hearing a suo motu PIL based on TOI report of August 24 exposing shortage of beds where Shreerang Bhandarkar has been appointed as the amicus curiae assisted by lawyer Nidhi Dayani.
Earlier, municipal commissioner Radhakrishnan B pointed out their proposal on creation of jumbo hospital on August 19 to the government. Out of 1,000 beds, 400 were to be allocated for ventilators and 300 were oxygenated. He complained that the government wasn’t responding to their proposal.
In the last hearing, counsel Sudhir Puranik had demanded directives to the government to immediately release funds for the project, which would have saved many precious lives. “It’s the government’s duty to make all infrastructural and medical facilities available to save the lives of people who’re affected or likely to be affected by Covid,” the judges said.
Additional government pleader Deepak Thakre informed on the government’s letter of September 9 to 20 hospitals and nursing homes for sending their paramedical staff for Covid duties, that failed to evoke any response. “The collector shall bring this order to notice of these establishments so that they can be hauled up for contempt if there is non-compliance of court’s order,” the judges said.
Earlier, the NGOs, who had filed intervention based on TOI reports pointed out towards facilities at railway hospitals for utilizing them for the patients. “We put this to the NMC commissioner who’s empowered authority under the Disaster Management Act to see whether the services, staff and facilities at these hospitals can be requisitioned for treatment of patients who require ventilated and oxygenated beds,” the judges said.
After Radhakrishnan assured to examine the intervener suggestions stating that if thought fit, railway hospitals can be requisitioned with specific instructions, the bench directed him to complete formalities before Thursday so that the patients can get immediate medical aid.
He earlier made a statement that a list of Ayush Doctors, postgraduate and super-speciality students, who’re summoned to work under guidance and instructions from senior doctors would be placed on record.