Covid-19: Woefully Low Number Of Hospital Beds, No Supply Of Oxygen: Sikkim High Court Seeks State's Response

In a suo moto PIL for Covid-19 management, a Division Bench comprising of Justices Meenakshi Madan Rai and Bhaskar Raj Pradhan observed,

"The beds identified for patients with Covid in the STNM Hospital and District Hospitals are evidently woefully low considering the number of persons who are reported to be infected by the virus on a daily basis vis-à-vis the population of the State."

The Bench was informed that presently, ICU facilities are also not available in the District Hospitals. Further, emergency arrangements for Covid patients are almost non-existent and no supplies of Oxygen are available at Primary Health Centres and Sub-Health Centres.

Due to this, it was submitted, that a 26-year-old woman who was brought to STNM Hospital in an ambulance from Singtam District, succumbed to the disease on account of paucity of bed in the ICU and non-availability of Oxygen.

The Bench also noted that there is a dearth of ambulances for Covid duty and the number of drivers engaged for the existing ambulances, and also the Grade III and Grade IV Hospital staff.

Further, testing facilities are available only in the East District that too at two Hospitals and thus, there is an emergent need to increase the number of testing Centres in the State.

Accordingly, it has asked the Additional Advocate General to consider all the aforementioned shortcomings and submit a report as to the course of action that the State proposes to take.

"Awareness generation with regard to the vaccine registration and the protocol to be followed when patient is found to be tested Covid positive is to be taken up on a priority," the Bench added.

The matter is now listed for hearing on May 15.

Case Title: In Re: Covid 19 Management

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