Telangana High Court directs State to report on security arrangements made for the security of health professionals treating COVID-19

The Telangana High Court recently directed the State government to file a report on the security arrangements made by the police for the safety of medical professionals in hospitals treating COVID-19 patients. .The Court was dealing with a plea to arrest persons who were alleged to have violently attacked doctors, medical staff and further caused destruction of property in the Hospital following the death of a COVID-19 patient..The petition, sent by email, urged the Court to intervene in the matter, given that the State Government was yet to act. When the matter was taken up on April 8, Advocate General BS Prasad accepted notice and sought time to file a reply..In response, a Division Bench consisting of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice T Amarnath Goud directed,."[The Advocate General] is directed to inform this Court about the security arrangements being made by the Police Department at those hospitals, which are specifically designated for treating COVID-19 patients, both in Hyderabad as well as in other cities of the State.”Telangana High Court.The Court took up the issue on the basis of a letter written by Advocate K Karuna Sagar seeking direction to Home Secretary and Director General of Police to deploy sufficient security personnel at all government and private hospitals. .The petitioner had highlighted a recent incident where the family members of a deceased COVID-19 patient had attacked doctors, medical staff and further destroyed the hospital property by breaking the windows, causing serious damage. He further stated that similar incidents were being observed in the Khammam and Nizamabad districts. .The petitioner had urged that the State government be directed to take stringent action against such miscreants by registering non-bailable cases under Indian Penal Code and and the Telangana Medicare service persons Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Precention of violence and damage to property) Act, 2008..The petitioner had also emphasised that doctors and medical staff have been working relentlessly for the past one month. Therefore, he argued this type of inhuman behaviour towards such medical professionals is highly condemnable and that stringent action should be taken in order to deter such future attacks..The matter is scheduled to be taken up tomorrow by the High Court. .[Read the order here]