Furnish details of Committee members for COVID-19 hospitals' inspection: HC directs Himachal govt

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed the state government to furnish the particulars of the members of the Committee, to be constituted for inspection, supervision and guidance of COVID-19 hospitals.

A division bench of Chief Justice L Narayana Swamy and Justice Anoop Chitkara directed the Himachal Pradesh government to furnish the particulars of the Committee members, to be constituted by the state in view of the orders passed by the apex court, for inspection, supervision and guidance of government hospital and other hospitals dedicated to COVID-19.

The order was passed on a petition, filed by Nareshwar Singh Chandel, which alleged that though the state government is taking preventive measures for containment of COVID-19 pandemic, they are not sufficient considering the wildfire like spread of the pandemic.

The plea had suggested various measures to handle the situation and prayed to direct the respondents to implement the measures and submit report to this effect to the court. It also sought the appointment of an expert body/ committee of doctors and executives to monitor the rapidly evolving situation with regard to COVID-19 in the state.

During the hearing of another petition, one challenging the designation of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Hospital in Shimla as dedicated Covid Care Hospital for the districts of Solan and Sirmaur in addition to Shimla and Kinnnaur districts, the High Court directed the state government to continue with the earlier order dated August 11, 2020, regarding non-shifting of the COVID-19 patients from Sirmaur and Solan districts to DDU Hospital unless the hospitals at these districts run out of the capacity to attend the COVID 19 patients.

However, the High Court gave liberty to the respondent-state to decide the shifting of patients on the basis of severity.

The second petition was filed by Inderjit Singh, challenging the state government's order dated July 16, 2020, designating the DDU Zonal Hospital, Shimla as the dedicated Covid Care Hospital for the districts of Solan and Sirmaur, in addition to the Shimla and Kinnaur.

The petitioner claimed that the DDU Hospital is itself lacking in basic infrastructure and is not fully equipped to handle the situation as per the guidelines of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi and in such situation, it would be detrimental to public interest to transfer the patients all the way from Solan and Sirmaur to DDU, Shimla.

The High Court had observed that when the infrastructure at DDU Hospital, Shimla, itself is incomplete, it does not lie for the state to order shifting of patients from Sirmaur and Solan, unless those hospitals have run out of capacity.

Both the matters were listed for further hearing on September 1, 2020.

( With inputs from ANI )