[COVID-19] Constitute Expert Committee of doctors, clarify measures taken for frontline workers: Karnataka HC directs State

The Karnataka High Court this week directed the state government to constitute an expert team of doctors to inspect and supervise hospitals in the state.

The Court has issued a set of directions while dealing with two letter petitions underlining the lack of medical facilities for COVID-19 patients in hospitals.

. The direction pertaining to forming an expert committee of doctors was passed by the Court in line with a Supreme Court order passed on June 19 , by which every state was directed to formulate an expert committee of doctors for inspection, supervision, and guidance to hospitals.

.CCTV, Discharge Policy, Price capping, Maharashtra Circular: Here are Supreme Court's directions in suo motu case on COVID-19 treatment . This apart, a Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka sought clarifications from the State on the following issues:

. It would be appropriate for state to modify circular dated July 15 by incorporating a direction to set out a specific telephone number on which a patient can lodge a grievance regarding failure to admit a patient.

State government to invoke necessary provisions of the Disaster Management Act by issuing directions to all private hospitals so that a direction can be enforced against the private hospitals.

State to clarify whether there are any other helplines to avail ambulances apart from 108.

State to consider authorizing the BBMP bed allocation team (led by Mr. Tushar Girinath) to deal with grievances regarding the non-allocation of beds .

Real-time updation of bed data must be available on public domain in English and Kannada.

State and all other stakeholders to come out with measures for protecting categories of public servants who are in the forefront against the war of COVID-19. These include pourakarmikas, police, doctors/nurses, ASHA workers, medical personnel and housekeeping staff in hospitals and other facilities.

. During the hearing, the state government had informed the Bench that it had issued a circular clarifying that private hospitals and ambulances are bound to admit COVID-19 patients and take the patients to the nearest facility, without generation of a Blocking/Unblocking (BU) code.

. The Bench was further told that the circular instructs hospitals to admit patients on the basis of any of these documents as proof: SMS alert from an authorised source indicating the positive status of COVID-19; a COVID-19 positive alert on the Aarogya Setu app; or a positive status in a report from an accredited laboratory.

. On the point of protection for frontline workers, the Bench opined that,

. "All stakeholders must ensure that special care is taken of this category of public servants who are at the forefront."

. Further, the Court also directed the state government to place on record details of measures taken to provide medical facilities in different districts.

. "State to give details about steps taken to provide medical facilities in the districts. Details of hospitals, beds, doctors etc in each of the districts to be placed on record. Number of testing centres and ambulances available to be stated. How can a person in the district get tested and secure an ambulance and medical assistance? What is the procedure prescribed in this regard? Are there any helplines in the districts?"

. The matter will be next heard on July 20.

.[COVID-19] Clarify number of helplines for grievances regarding non-availability of hospital beds: Karnataka HC to state, BBMP . Earlier, the Karnataka High Court had asked the state government and the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) to clarify the number of dedicated telephone lines in place for citizens to raise grievances regarding failure to secure hospital beds for COVID-19 patients.

[COVID-19] Constitute Expert Committee of doctors, clarify measures taken for frontline workers: Karnataka HC directs State

Rintu Mariam Biju

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