[COVID-19] Allahabad High Court seeks State reply in plea seeking free treatment for lawyers and families

The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday directed counsel for the State and Central governments to seek instructions in a plea seeking free COVID-19 treatment for lawyers and their families (Hari Pasad Gupta v. State of Uttar Pradesh)..The petition also raised many issues regarding COVID-19 management across Uttar Pradesh, specifically in Lucknow..These included mismanagement in the availability of oxygen required for seriously ill COVID-19 positive patients, lack of required beds in the designated COVID-19 hospitals, and the administration's lack of sensitivity towards positive patients. .The order passed by a Division Bench of Justices Ritu Raj Awasthi and Manish Mathur states,"We have considered the submissions made by learned counsel for the parties and gone through the record. Considering the submissions made by learned counsel for parties and going through the record, we direct the counsel for opposite parties to seek instructions in the matter.".During the course of hearing, Additional Chief Standing Counsel HP Srivastava pointed out that that the Allahabad Bench was already seized of a matter involving the issues raised in the instant PIL. He thus suggested that the petitioner be directed to move an intervention application in that matter..[BREAKING] Death of COVID patients due to Oxygen shortage nothing less than genocide: Allahabad High Court orders inquiry [READ ORDER].The following directions to the State and Central authorities have been sought by the petitioners:Ensure oxygen supply not only to hospitals but also to patients who are in isolation/home quarantine. Ensure free of cost treatment to the lawyers and their wards suffering from COVID-19 or reimburse the amount incurred on treatment. Provide facility of hospitalization to serious patients who are running here and there and are becoming prey to the mismanagement and utter failure of the administrative setup. Ensure proper, adequate supply of medicine, to check black marketing, hoarding, and overpricing of medicines, oxygen, and other surgical and non-surgical items. Installation of Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) plants from the funds of the PM Cares Fund Trust and to ensure supply of oxygen as per its capacity at the earliest. Conduct audit of hospitalization of COVID-19 patients both in government and non-government hospitals, and also to do conduct audit of the supply of oxygen and medicines in the State of Uttar Pradesh. Establish a makeshift COVID-19 hospital in the premises of the High Court for which Advocate Chambers, Awadh Bar Library, Auditorium Hall and other suitable places can be taken so as to cater to the needs of judicial and non-judicial staff, advocates and their wards. Provide the necessary infrastructure and facilities like ventilator, oxygen supply, life saving medicines and other necessary ancillary equipment and machinery for making a makeshift Covid hospital in the premises of the High Court..The matter will now be heard on May 18. .[Read order]