Delhi High Court Directs To Set Up A Dedicated `COVID Health Centre' With Oxygenated Beds In JNU

The Bench of Justice Prathiba M. Singh observed that setting up a dedicated 'COVID Care Centre' would enable such affected persons to immediately isolate and for their basic parameters to be monitored.

The matter before the Court

A writ petition was filed by the Students Union and the Teachers Union at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (hereinafter, "JNU"), as also two Professors who teach at the University.

They sought various directions to the Respondents including a direction for setting up COVID care facilities in the University Campus, as also a COVID response team, and certain Oxygen facilities inside the University Campus premises.

They argued that due to the outbreak of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, around the second week of April, the Petitioners wrote several letters to the Registrar of the Respondent University, The Vice-Chancellor of JNU as also the ADM/ SDM of the concerned area seeking immediate intervention.

However, there was no response from any of the said authorities, and on any of the concerns raised by the Petitioners, thus, the petition was filed.

JNU's submission

Appearing before the Court, the Registrar, JNU submitted that a COVID Task Force had already been set up by the University, consisting of nine members and that since the same was constituted on 18^th April, 2021, several patients, who contracted COVID-19 and who required hospitalisation were rendered assistance by the said Task Force which was set up.

Court's observations

At the outset, the Court observed that in case there is a sudden surge, the residents in the campus may face difficulties and there is a need to take further steps apart from what has already been taken by the Covid Task Force and the Covid Response Team.

Thus, noting that the COVID Task Force and the COVID response Team is already working within the JNU campus, the following directions were further issued:

• In order to provide for immediate isolation of residents who are tested Covid positive, a `Covid Care Centre' be set up inside the JNU. The premises for the same be identified by the COVID Task Force, in consultation with the concerned SDM.
• If the services of any of the faculty members who are part of the Petitioner association are required, their recommendations/assistance may also be availed of by the COVID Task Force.
• To facilitate the monitoring of the basic parameters of those who are detected positive with COVID-19, if any paramedic/nursing staff are required, the SDM and JNU Task Force shall arrive at a consensus, as to how, the arrangement would be made for paramedic/nursing staff.
• The doctors on campus also could be empanelled for volunteering, if required, for any patient in the isolation centre;
• Insofar as those patients who may need oxygenated beds are concerned, the JNU Task Force may coordinate with the SDM of the concerned area, as also with the Delhi Government, to identify as to with which of the above mentioned three facilities or any other facility JNU ought to tie up so that there is an arrangement which is put in place for residents of the JNU campus, in case they require oxygenated beds or any ICU facility;
• Insofar as the creation of a dedicated `COVID Health Centre' with oxygenated beds in JNU is concerned, the feasibility, requirement and necessity of the same maybe discussed and deliberated upon by the COVID Task Force with the SDM of the concerned area and Delhi Govt.
• If any tie-up needs to be created with any hospital in the vicinity, the same shall also be identified and the terms and conditions thereof would also be mentioned in the status report.

In related news, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday (May 11) pulled up the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) for not reacting with "swiftness and alacrity" as COVID cases continue to rise in a plea filed by students and teachers seeking a COVID care centre as well as oxygen production facilities to be set up within the campus.

A Bench of Justice Prathiba M. Singh issued notice as well as a slew of directions, while noting that the University's failure to respond to requests by students and teachers since April 13, if true, "would constitute gross neglect by the JNU administration in a situation which is completely alarming".

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