"Exercise was meant to be supervisory at a time when pandemic raged at alarming level:" Madras High Court closes suo motu COVID-19 case

The Madras High Court on Tuesday closed the suo motu case registered by it earlier this year to monitor the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. .The Court reasoned that the exercise was only meant to supervise COVID-19 management at a time when the second surge of the pandemic was at its peak. .The Bench further noted that the proceedings have served as a common platform for the Centre and the State to discuss the supply of requisite drugs, oxygen and other essentials. .Since things have improved now, the Court decided to close the proceedings. ."It is not the intention of the Court to take over the administration, the exercise was only meant to be supervisory at a time when the pandemic raged at an alarming level", the final order passed today stated..The Court added that the Centre, the State and the Union Territory will have to take appropriate measures to deal with any further COVID-19 surges by being more prepared than country was when second surge descended..Further, the Bench expressed that while there is no scientific basis, as of now, to expect a third surge and "even less scientific basis to fear that the third wave may attack children more", the government must not let down its guard.."... there were some reports in such regard (on the third wave). It is best that the facilities developed on emergency basis to deal with second surge are not dismantled immediately so that in even there is a third surge in the next four-six months, the same may be tackled with adequate facilities in hand", the Court said..Supplies of oxygen have been augmented all round, the Court noted. However, the ability to produce oxygen supplies should be maintained in excess of what is required today and close to what was required at the second COVID-19 wave's peak, the Court opined..Similarly, the emergency beds arranged should not be undone immediately..The Bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy was also informed today that the vaccination situation in both Tamil Nadu and Puducherry is progressing well. .Advocate General R Shunmugasundaram told the Court that 1 crore, 20 lakh people have been vaccinated in Tamil Nadu. As per press reports yesterday, there were about 65,000 vacant beds in the State, he added. .Government Pleader N Mala informed that about 4 lakh, 14 thousand people have been vaccinated in Puducherry. In response to a Court query, she added that about 40,000 vacine doses are expected to be supplied to Puducherry in the next few days..In its order, the Court commented that it was encouraging that vaccines have been supplied and that vaccination drives were resumed. .The Court also hoped that the vaccine supply is increased so that the vaccination of all people is completed earlier than envisaged. The Court also took on record that the government has undertaken awareness drives through various media to counter "the superstitions and the grandmother’s tales pertaining to side effects of vaccines.".Efforts to vaccinate tribals and tea garden workers, along with other front line workers, was also noted by the Court. .At the High Court, a vaccination camp has been temporarily closed from today due to fewer visitors, the Bench further informed. Vaccination camps were also organised in District court complexes and will continue in some of the District court complexes where the vaccination has not taken place to a large extent till date..The Court proceeded to close the suo motu proceedings initiated in April this year shortly before the Supreme Court also initiated suo motu proceedings to monitor pan-India COVID-19 related issues. .[BREAKING] Madras High Court to take up suo motu case on reports of Remdesivir diversion, Oxygen supply today .The Court had initially proposed to look into matters of the distribution and supply of Remdesivir, oxygen, ventilators and COVID-19 vaccination. .Under-privileged may not be able to afford COVID-19 Vaccine at Rs. 400-600: Madras High Court to Central govt.However, over time the Court had occasion to look into myriad related issues including the conversion of ESI hospitals into COVID-19 units, setting up of DRDO oxygen PSA plants, grievances of workmen who have to go to work during COVID lockdowns, reports of ambulances being used as makeshift stretchers, feeding of stray animals amid the lockdown, public sanitisation etc. .ESI hospitals as COVID units, PM CARES for DRDO PSA plants, vaccine shortage and more: Highlights of Madras High Court suo motu hearings.Several Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petitions on these issues were clubbed with the suo motu case, so all COVID-19 related matters could be heard together. During the course of these proceedings, the Centre also informed the Court that 216 crore vaccine doses would be available in India by the year's end, which would be sufficient to innoculate the entire population..[COVID-19] "Hoped that the target is met sooner than later:" Madras High Court on Centre's assurance of 216 Crore vaccines for India by year-end.On May 31, the Bench had expressed that it may close the suo motu proceedings soon since matters appear to have improved considerably in both Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. .Follow Bar and Bench channel on WhatsAppDownload the Bar and Bench Mobile app for instant access to the latest legal news.