Follow BMC as model to manage COVID-19 pandemic: Bombay High Court to other municipal corporations in State

The Bombay High Court on Thursday asked municipal corporations in the State to consider adopting the model followed by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) while handling the COVID-19 situation in Mumbai (Sneha Marjadi v. State of Maharashtra)..The suggestion from the High Court came a day after the Supreme Court cited the success of BMC in managing the pandemic in the city. The apex court had asked the Central government to hold a meeting with BMC Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal to adopt similar measures for Delhi. .The High Court made the suggestion while reviewing the COVID-19 management in the State. During today's hearing, the Court received grievances from other districts of the State outside of Mumbai. .The Bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice GS Kulkarni mused, "If Supreme Court is considering BMC as a model for the country, then other municipal corporations in our State can also adopt a similar model"..While stating so, the Court also asked the State government to consider taking aggressive measures, like imposing complete lockdowns for a limited period of time in order to control the exponential rise in infections in the State. .In the previous hearing of the plea alleging improper management of COVID-19 treatment in the State of Maharashtra, the Court had directed the State to give it updates on the supply of oxygen, medicines, and availability of hospital beds. .Accordingly, Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni made the following submissions:.The AG submitted that Maharashtra was supposed to receive 1,804 MT of oxygen from the Centre. The demand and supply was almost neck and neck, he said. .He submitted that presently, Maharashtra was producing 1,200 MT of oxygen, and that it had 10 Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Medical Oxygen Generation Plants in the State which were producing 50 MT of oxygen per day. The target was to amp up the production up to 268 MT per day. .CJ Datta at this point intervened stating that while the situation in Maharashtra was better than most states, they ought not lower their guard as a third wave seemed inevitable..The Court referred to a newspaper report highlighting that a private hospital in Sangli district, Maharashtra had set up its own oxygen supply to tackle the increasing demand. "Why can't all private hospitals have their own oxygen plants? At least to meet their own demands for active consumption. It is high time every private hospital comes up with their oxygen plants. We do not want a single death in Maharashtra due to want of oxygen," the Court stated. .The AG submitted that the State was not getting adequate supply of Remdesivir from the Central government. Though it was allocated 8,09,000 vials of the drug, it had received only 3,50,871 vials, he added..Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, appearing for the Centre, informed the Court that in its affidavit before the Supreme Court, the Centre had submitted alternatives to Remdesivir which were equally effective in treating COVID-19..Hospitals and medical doctors should not be insisting on prescribing foreign drugs to treat COVID-19, if medicines manufactured in India were cheaper, more widely available and equally effective to treat COVID-19, the Court said. .The Court was informed that this was even discussed by the apex court order passed in the suo-motu COVID-19 case. In response, the Court asked the Centre,"If there is discussion in the Supreme Court order on the medicines that are effective, then why is there no advisory to that effect?If there is any entity which is making profit, the Centre and the State need to put their foot down. India is not a country where these multinational companies can make profit," the Court added..The Court is likely to pass a detailed order on the hearing with directions to the government authorities..The matter is posted for hearing on May 12 along with other COVID-related matters.