[COVID-19] Open secret India is leading among countries facing 4th wave: Uttarakhand High Court asks State to ramp up medical facilities

It is an open secret that India has emerged as the leading country facing the fourth wave of COVID-19 pandemic, the Uttarakhand High Court recently observed as it issued a slew of directions to the State government to combat the Coronavirus. .A Bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice Alok Kumar Verma said that while Uttarakhand is not yet badly hit, the State has to be "over vigilant" and not "rest on its oars".."It is an open secret that India has emerged as the leading country facing the fourth wave of COVID-19 pandemic. According to the media reports, the increase in positivity rate has doubled from last year. While, last year in 2020, the rate of positivity was 8 percent, just in one month, it has shot up to 16.2 percent," the Court said. .If this trend continues for another three to four months, not only Uttarakhand, but even the nation, will hit its peak after three to four months, the Court observed. "The rough estimate is that by the end of July, 2021 or beginning of August, 2021, six lakh people may be adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic within the State," the order further stated. .The High Court emphasized on the enormity of the problem, highlighting how other States were reeling under the onslaught of the pandemic and even the capital of the country, Delhi, was devastated by it..In particular, the High Court took note of the topography of the State to suggest that "mobile vans" might be needed to penetrate the interior regions to carry out tests since a large extent of the State is covered by mountains, and villages and hamlets are spread over mountain tops. "The Court is informed that there are only 132 authorized clinics/hospitals for carrying out the COVID-19 test. But considering the fact that a large extent of the State is covered by mountains, and the fact that the villages and hamlets are spread at mountain tops, the State Government is directed to seriously consider the use of “mobile vans” which can penetrate into the heartland and into the interior parts of the State for carrying out the test. Such steps have already been taken by the Government of Andhra Pradesh. There is no reason why the similar strategy should not be adopted by the State of Uttarakhand," the order said. .The Court also directed the State to consider the feasibility of establishing temporary hospitals with help from Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). "Since a few temporary hospitals have already been constructed for the benefit of Kumbh Mela, the said hospitals should not be dismantled till the COVID-19 pandemic is over," it added. .The Bench issued the following directives to ramp up the State's preparedness to deal with the pandemic:(i) Increase number of authorized labs to carry on testing for a larger percentage of population;(ii) Increase testing rate in big cities like Dehradun, Haridwar and Haldwani to at least 30,000 tests per day;(iii) Consider use of other kits, besides the Rapid Antigen Kit, or the RT PCR tests, for increasing the tests being carried out on daily basis;(iii) Consider sending of ‘mobile vans’ which are fully equipped for carrying out the testing of COVID-19 virus;(iv) Increase the number of Dedicated COVID-19 Hospitals;(v) Consider the feasibility of establishing temporary hospitals with the help of the DRDO or any other Central agency;(vi) Increase the number of COVID-19 health care centres as they need to be established in the thirteenth remaining district of the State;(vii) Increase the number of beds available in the hospitals;(viii) Since CT scan machines are essential in detecting the presence of the second strain of COVID-19 virus, endeavor to increase their availability in the State;(ix) Ensure that PPE kits and other protective gears, are provided to all medical staff, especially to the Doctors, Nurses, Ward Boys to look after the COVID-19 patients;(x) Publish names and locations of testing centres, and hospitals/ dedicated COVID-19 health care centres in the media bulletin on a daily basis;(xi) Procure and distribute sufficient number of anti-viral injection ‘Remdesivir’ throughout the State..On being informed that the contractual employees working in the Dr. Sushila Tiwari Government Hospital, Haldwani have been on strike for the last six to eight months due to which the entire hospital campus has turned into a garbage dump, the Court directed the State Government to try and resolve the dispute between the contractual employees and the management. .The government was directed to ensure that the campus is immediately cleaned and hygienic conditions are maintained on war footing. .On the issue of private hospitals over-charging the COVID-19 patients despite government guidelines against it being in place, Amit Negi, the Secretary, Medical Health and Family Welfare, was asked to personally inquire into the charges being levied by the private hospitals. .If any hospital is found violating the Government Order, strict action should be taken against the erring hospitals in accordance with law, the Bench made it clear. .Moreover, since private hospitals were granted land at a concessional rate under the condition that 25 percent of the beds available in the hospitals would be reserved for people belonging to the category of the Below Poverty Line, the Secretary, is also directed to inquire whether the said condition is being followed or not. .In case, the said condition is being flouted, strict action should be taken against the erring hospitals, the Court odered. .The Bench also noted that all over the world, and within the country, people had expressed their concern with the on-going Kumbh Mela and its impact on the spread of COVID-19.One of the writ applicants informed the Court that although the State government claimed that it would like to break the chain of infection, yet it is permitting large gathering in the Kumbh Mela..The applicant added that in the third week of May, 2021, the temples of Char Dham, namely Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath, would open their doors for receiving the pilgrims..Keeping this in mind, the Court asked the government to immediately issue a SoP indicating the procedure for registration of the pilgrims, the number of pilgrims allowed to travel to the respective Dham, the accommodation which would be available for the pilgrims and the number of pilgrims who will be allowed to enter each temple at the Dham. .The Chief Secretary, Om Prakash was asked to submit a report with regard to the Cabinet decision which may be taken on tackling the pandemic in the State. .The Secretary, Medical Health and Family Welfare was ordered to submit a detailed report with regard to the implementation of the directions..The said reports should be submitted on or before May 7, 2021..The Chief Secretary, the Secretary, Medical Health and Family Welfare, and the Secretary, Finance, Government of Uttarakhand have to be personally present before the Court through video conference on May 10, 2021 when the matter will be taken up next..[Read Order]