Delhi HC Directs Delhi Govt To Increase The Number of Beds And Ventilators For COVID Patients [Read Order]

The Division Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan further directed the Delhi Government to look into the suggestions given by Delhi Medical Association in their press release dated 06.06.2020 and keep these suggestions in mind while formulating a policy.

The order has come in a PIL filed by Mr Hemant Singh seeking a direction to be issued to the Delhi Government as well as the Central Government for ensuring availability of adequate number of beds in the hospitals in the State (Private as well as Government of Delhi hospitals) and provide adequate facility for admission of persons requiring treatment for COVID-19.

The Petitioner also wanted a direction for ensuring and providing adequate facilities for medical tests for COVID19 infection for people who are either symptomatic or asymptomatic of COVID19 and not to discriminate on the aforesaid basis.

To argue his case, the Petitioner submitted that more beds are required for Covid patients in hospitals situated at Delhi as the number of patients is increasing rapidly day by day.

It was also suggested by the Petitioner that there are "ready to move in" Government flats available in the city of Delhi, which may be utilized by the COVID hospitals for putting such infrastructure like beds, etc. to accommodate Covid patients.

The court also took into consideration the directions issued by the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi on June 10 for developing electronic board in hospitals displaying information to the people about the availability of the beds, etc. Moreover, the court also took note of a mobile application which has already been developed by Delhi Government wherein such data is to be uploaded by all the hospitals.

The court said:

'We expect from all the hospitals situated in Delhi that they shall correctly upload the availability of "real time bed capacity data" so that public may know in advance where to go if they are suffering from COVID.'

In addition to this, the court also said that it expects Delhi Government to scrupulously follow the guidance / directions / guidelines issued by the Central Government.

The court said:

'There cannot be any hard and fast mathematical solution of such a problem. In a situation like this, experimental based solutions are to be tested. Suffice it to say that the respondents appear to be aware of the fact that there is need of more beds for Covid patients and therefore they are issuing directions from time to time. Both Central Government as well as State Government are issuing directions looking to the present needs of the society.'

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