"Critical Patients Running From Pillar To Post In Search Of Beds": Amicus Moves Punjab And Haryana HC Seeking Revival Of Plea Concerning Covid Facilities

Reviving the disposed petition concerning Covid related facilities in States of Punjab, Haryana and UT of Chandigarh, amicus curiae Senior Advocate Rupinder Singh Khosla has moved an application before the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking revival of the said petition highlighting the critical situation of covid patients and shortage of oxygen supply faced by Hospitals.

The Application moved by Khosla also seeks impleadment of the Union of India, through its Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in the interest of justice.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court vide order dated 23 April 2021 disposed of the petition the grim situation of covid 19 pandemic by directing that the Secretaries, Legal Services Authority in every District would be member of Committee/Nodal Agencies comprising of Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police, Representative of Municipal Counsel/Corporation and Civil Surgeon formed for disposal of complaints arising of Covid situation.

Furthermore, the Court also observed that "Persons who wear the masks casually leaving their mouth and/or nose exposed would be treated on the same footing as those not wearing the mask at all and liable to same punitive action." A bench comprising of Justice Rajan Gupta and Justice Karamjit Singh held.

In the Application moved by the Amicus curiae yesterday, it has been provided thus:

"That today in the morning it has come to the knowledge of the Amicus Curiae that PGI as well as Government Hospital-16 have exhausted their capacity for critical patients ie. beds with ventilators and many critical patients are running from pillar to posts in search for beds with ventilators in the tricity. That it has also been reported in sections of the press that various hospitals in the State of Punjab are facing logistical problems regarding supply of oxygen. It is prayed that not only the State of Punjab but also the Union of India may please be directed to sort out the issue as soon as possible, to avoid any catastrophe."

Furthermore, highlighting that the Supreme Court has also taken suo moto cognizance of the present Covid situation across the country, the application also states that the reports and affidavits filed by the States in the matter showed that the "infrastructure to fight the Pandemic is at its edge and can tilt over anytime, if not already."

"That the present emergent situation has resulted in moving of the present application so as to revive the present petition and so that the Union of India can be directed to supply ventilators and other medical infrastructure for the region, today itself otherwise many precious lives will be lost." The Application reads.

The petition has been moved through Advocate Sarvesh Malik and is likely to be heard by the High Court on Monday.