[COVID-19] Let authorities coordinate with judicial officers, can't interfere in individual requests for beds: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court today asked the District & Sessions Judge of each district to coordinate with the respective District Magistrate to address the medical concerns of judicial officers and their families suffering from COVID-19 (Shobha Gupta v. UOI).A Division Bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli added that each District & Sessions Judge along with the District Magistrate may also earmark certain places for setting up COVID-19 centres..In its order, the Court noted that two judicial officers had already succumbed to COVID-19 recently. .While a request was made for attaching private hospitals for judicial officers, the Court turned it down, saying that it could not consider the same..In response to another set of petitions preferred by individuals seeking Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds or hospitalisation, the High Court further clarified that it was not going to pass any order directing admission of any COVID-19 patient to any hospital..The order with respect to judicial officers was passed in a petition preferred by Advocate Shobha Gupta seeking directions to ensure COVID-19 treatment for judicial officers. .Appearing for the petitioner, Senior Advocate Sanjoy Ghose argued that judges would "become martyrs to COVID-19". .Ghose highlighted that over 60 judicial officers had already been infected with the virus and that some were even made to run from pillar to post to secure admission in hospitals. ."The judicial officers would not come before Court but as the Bar, we are concerned", Ghose stated. .He thus suggested that a coordination mechanism be set up to facilitate beds, medicines and oxygen for judicial officers afflicted by COVID-19..He also proposed that the now-empty court complexes and dispensaries in residential wards be used as COVID care centres. .Delhi government counsel Santosh Tripathi stated that the government was willing to provide assistance to deal with the situation..On petitions seeking beds for COVID-19 patients in any hospital, the court remarked,."...in all these individual cases how do we direct? We can direct that you approach the respondents...We'll direct that if bed is available, they'll give to you. If we start interfering in individual matters, we will be flooded.. Have you come from Mars? You are arguing as if you don't know what the situation of the city is," the Court remarked..The Court emphasised that it wasn't the case that hospitals had the beds but were not allowing admissions, adding,"We are not going to direct the DM (to arrange bed for you). We appreciate your grievances. But we are not going to pass an order...where are the beds available? There's no medication, no doctors.".Advocate Alok Aggarwal, counsel for Maharaja Agrasen Hospital, where one of the petitioners was on a ventilator, stated,"This is one case where an individual does need an ICU otherwise he will not survive. We have kept him in casualty. (But) My hospital is not in a position (to provide ICU).".These individual petitions were transferred from the Bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh. .Counsel for Delhi government, Senior Advocate Rahul Mehra submitted that although he had empathy for such patients, it would be cruel on the part of State to bypass those "are lined up outside hospitals". ."Court may not pass an order. But we need to do whatever we can as officers of court," he said. .Other counsel, including Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, also agreed to offer help. .As the counsel for one of the patients sought an order from the Court on merits, the Court remarked,"Please wait. Someone may help you.".Read a complete account of the hearing below:.[COVID-19 Crisis in Delhi] You have to meet oxygen demand head-on, can't duck it: Delhi High Court tells Centre [LIVE UPDATES]