We Must Do Our Bit For Community : Sr Adv Mukul Rohatgi On Lawyers' Duty Amid COVID-19 Crisis
Nilashish Chaudhary
1 May 2020 2:24 PM IST
After having donated to the PM CARES Fund and other NGOs, Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi has now helped convert an old bus into a mobile testing laboratory for COVID-19 and funded the acquisition of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits for frontline healthcare workers. LiveLaw got in touch with the former Attorney General of India to learn more about his unique assistance to the...
After having donated to the PM CARES Fund and other NGOs, Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi has now helped convert an old bus into a mobile testing laboratory for COVID-19 and funded the acquisition of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits for frontline healthcare workers.
LiveLaw got in touch with the former Attorney General of India to learn more about his unique assistance to the Delhi Government and the role of the legal fraternity in providing support during these times.
"I checked with the Delhi Government on what help could be provided since I already donated to PM CARES and other NGOs. I was told that mobile testing was very important and if you want to do something specific and fast, this could be done (fund the conversion of an old bus into a mobile testing laboratory).
I was put in touch with the SDM South and DM South, who were dealing with the approved vendors for such buses. After speaking with them, I decided to fund it."
The SDM and DM thus facilitated his contribution towards setting up the Corona Rapid Testing Mobile Clinic.
Speaking of the need for such a mobile laboratory, Rohatgi said "it can go to clusters and do wholesale testing. See people can't travel right now because there's a ban. So how do they get tested? This bus will go to them and manage to test 30-40 people in one area very efficiently. This way hundreds will get tested daily."
"The second thing I think is really important at this point", continues the Senior Advocate, "are PPE kits". He informed us that he contributed towards the procurement of 5000+ PPE kits, which would soon get delivered.
"The SDM (South) was also in touch with approved PPE vendors through whom 5000-7000 kits were procured. These will get delivered to the desired facilities in one or two days."
The former Attorney General categorically added that lawyers must step up during this unprecedented situation and help ease distress in the society in whatever capacity possible.
"I really think we as lawyers, everyone individually, must do our bit. We earn from this community, so when there is a need we must do whatever is in our capacity, whatever we are capable of doing, and help out."
Calling on fellow lawyers to stand up and be counted, Rohatgi urged, "it's time the lawyer community also comes out as warriors in the frontline. We can't be in the frontline like doctors and healthcare officials, but in our own way we must do whatever we can"
