'State Should Not Be Caught Unprepared In Meeting Challenges Of Another Wave Of Covid-19': Manipur High Court

"It would be necessary for the State to demonstrate the steps already taken, in terms of the demands raised for medical supplies and facilities, medicines and infrastructure; the steps taken to meet such demands; and also the plan for the future, in terms of the perceived demands that may arise for medical supplies and facilities, medicines and infrastructure and the steps that need to be put in place to meet such future demands, so that the State is not caught unprepared in meeting the challenges of another wave of this pandemic," a Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Kh Nobin Singh said.

It has asked the State Government to indicate the steps taken by it to put in place a "long-term plan" for meeting future challenges during the Covid19 pandemic.

The first such direction was made by the High Court last year in a PIL titled J. Hillson Angam v. State of Manipur & Ors..

"The government ought to constitute many committees of experts in respect of different problems relating to various Departments viz. Finance, Education, Health, Home, Agriculture, Horticulture, Industries etc. which will collect data, discus with the stakeholders including CSOs and assess the impact of COVID-19 crisis taking into account the actions already taken by the State Government under short term plan," it had observed.

On Wednesday, the Division Bench noted that till date Medical Colleges in the State are facing Oxygen shortage.

"RIMS, Imphal, and JNIMS, Imphal, which are parties to this writ petition, have stated in their reply affidavits that they are running short of oxygen supplies and are not in a position to cater to the needs of admitted Covid-19 patients. This issue needs immediate attention," the Bench said.

It has directed the Additional Advocate General to look into this aspect and file an additional reply affidavit addressing the steps taken to meet the demands raised by these hospitals.

So far as Covid Care Centres are concerned, the High Court took note of newspaper reports regarding inadequate facilities, especially with regard to supply of food to the patients.

The Bench has directed the AAG to file a reply affidavit indicating how the State proposes to provide the required facilities to those admitted in these Centres, including supply of food where there is no family member available to undertake this exercise.

"The additional affidavit shall also indicate as to how admission in these Centres would be streamlined so that patients who are members of a single family can be adjusted in the same Centre, to the extent possible, so as to avoid inconvenience to those attending to such patients," it added.

In a related case, the same Division Bench has sought response on capping of prices for Covid-19 treatment and also for ensuring that medical treatment is administered to non-covid patients.

Case Title: Naresh Maimom v. Union Of India & Ors.

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