Uttarakhand HC directs state govt to install ventilators in dedicated COVID-19 hospitals

Uttarakhand High Court on Wednesday observed that there is a shortage of ventilators in dedicated COVID-19 hospitals in the state and directed the state government install the same within a period of one week.

A bench of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Ravindra Maith issued the directions while hearing a batch of petitions raising concerns over proper medical equipment to be supplied in the hospitals and slated the matter for further hearing on April 29.

"We, therefore, direct the State Government to at least install one, possibly two, ventilators in these hospitals, within a period of one week from today," the High Court said.

The court observed that there is "definitely a shortage of ventilators yet when these hospitals had been declared as dedicated COVID-19 hospitals and one of the principal requirements of the dedicated COVID-19 hospital is that, inter alia, it must have ventilator facility".

"We have further been informed that some of these hospitals do not have an Intensive Care Unit (ICU)," the court said adding that dedicated COVID-19 hospitals must have an ICU.

( With inputs from ANI )