HYDERABAD: Two days after the director of public health issued a statement that Covid bulletins would no longer be daily but only weekly, the Telangana high court on Thursday directed that state must start giving daily medical bulletins within 24 hours.
“Not in agreement with this abrupt decision,” a bench of Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy said. “From Friday itself, you (government) have to start releasing the daily medical bulletin,” the bench said. The bench was hearing a batch of public interest petitions filed seeking steps to tackle the
pandemic.
The judges also sought a detailed report from the health authorities on the steps taken to prevent the fresh wave of Covid-19 sweeping neighbouring Maharashtra and Karnataka from entering Telangana. “Upload all the details of your tests into the state-run portal,” they said.
Expressing concern over public congregations in the backdrop of reopening of schools and theatres, the judges said the authorities need to restrict the numbers at such congregations. Adjourning the case to March 18, the judges asked the government to file a report by that time.
The judges directed the government to undertake serological surveys on its own. “The three serological surveys conducted till now were done by the central government. Time you did it on your own,” the bench said, addressing advocate general BS Prasad.
The judges also wanted the government to update details of tests, vaccinations, etc., on the state health portal. “Also, inform the areas where elderly people can go for vaccination, about the methods through which they can go for online registrations, etc.,” they said. The judges also said adequate publicity must be given to these issues.
Earlier, Chikkudu Prabhakar, counsel for one of the petitioners, brought to the notice of the court the decision of the public health director to stop issuing the daily bulletins.
It may be recalled the high court has been monitoring the pandemic situation and giving directions to the health authorities on Covid-19 tests, medical facilities, treatment, etc. The public health director was also regularly briefing the court on the progress made on the Covid-19 front.