Allahabad HC In-Re Inhuman Condition At Quarantine Centres

Case Covered:

In-Re Inhuman Condition At Quarantine Centres And For Providing Better Treatment To Corona Positive

Facts of the Case:

In online hearing of this Public Interest Litigation, we have heard Shri Manish Goel, learned Additional Advocate General assisted by Shri A.K. Goel, learned Additional Chief Standing Counsel, Shri S.K. Singh, learned Additional Solicitor General of India, Shri Amrendra Nath Singh, President Allahabad High Court Bar Association, Shri Shubham Dwivedi, learned Advocate Commissioner, Shri A.P. Paul, Shri Anuj Singh, Ms. Shushi, learned Advocates, Shri Ashish Mishra, learned Advocate appearing for High Court, Shri Mohit Jain and Shri Amit Saxena learned Advocates for Moti Lal Nehru Medical College with which the Swaroop Rani Nehru Medical College is attached.

Today as the threat of the pandemic looms large and the public health system is not able to cater to the need of the people as per demand, so people have themselves put a lockdown on their normal activities. The roads and streets have gone deserted and commercial activities in major cities of the state of Uttar Pradesh have nearly come to a standstill. The city population is in complete grip of Coronavirus called COVID19 and so people are getting infected in a large number every day forming a complete chain for every next coming day. People are waiting in queues outside every hospital in search of a bed for survival but only a very few lucky ones are getting a chance and even non-Covid patients and those who have become negative and are facing acute respiratory problems due to Covid involvement in the lungs, are not getting beds. Thus, public health infrastructure has attained saturation.

Government hospitals and even well-established private hospitals are not able to cater to the need of the people today. Besides that, doctors, medical and paramedical staff, other health workers have all gone completely exhausted. Even private hospitals while have come forward to provide their existing infrastructure to help the government in the current crisis are extremely insufficient. Reports are coming that health workers of these hospitals are hesitant in serving Covid infected patients. Further, the private hospitals are running out of stock of life-saving drugs like Remdesivir and they needed oxygen and what is worst is, as we have been informed, certain people in private hospitals and in the medicine market are minting money out of this crisis. Further at times, as newspapers report, the patients are being given fake injections.

Observations:

The situation overall in the major cities of Uttar Pradesh has gone very chaotic for the current Covid surge. Whether it is day or night the ghost of Corona is marching on the roads and streets of the major cities of the state and it can be anybody’s fate. Those who are resourceful will survive and the rest as histories of past pandemics tell us may die for want of proper healthcare.

As the Government in its wisdom has resolved to only two days weekend lockdown to break the chain and has further proceeded with some measures as a sequel to that but mere fact that a number of positive cases as having been shown to have been reduced a little in numbers due two weekend lockdown days, nothing remarkable seems to have been achieved on the front of public health care to the satisfaction of the people.

From the above discussion we find two things are required to be streamlined immediately; A) the management of public health infrastructure, and B) raising or enhancing the infrastructure to at least meet 1% of the city’s population in every district of the state.

Related Topic:
Allahabad HC in the case of Nitin Verma Versus The state of U.P.

The Order of the Hon’ble Court:

In view of the above, let notices be issued to U.P. State Election Commission, Lucknow to explain by the next date fixed as to why it failed in checking noncompliance of covid guidelines during various phases of the panchayat elections held recently and why action may not be taken against it and its officials for the same and to prosecute those responsible for such violations.

The State Election Commission is further directed to take immediately all such measures in forthcoming phases of panchayat elections in the State to ensure that the covid guidelines dated 20.04.2021 of social distancing and face masking is religiously complied with, else action is liable to be taken against the officials involved in the election process.

Put up this matter again on 03.05.2021 at 11.00 a.m. Copy of this order be placed before the Chief Secretary, State of U.P. within 24 hours.

Read & Download the Full Order in pdf: