HC notice to Delhi govt for increasing number of labs to carry out COVID-19 testing
Jun 09, 2020
New Delhi [India], June 9 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notice to Delhi government on an application seeking to enlarge the number of laboratories that can undertake tests for COVID-19 and ramp up the testing process in respect of asymptomatic and symptomatic patients.
A division bench of Justices Hima Kohli and S Prasad asked the Arvind Kejriwal-led government to reply on the application filed by advocate Sanjeev Sharma and listed the matter for further hearing on June 11.
Sharma filed the present application in a petition filed by advocate Rakesh Malhotra in person that was disposed off by the bench, vide order dated May 4.
Sharma has sought relief for directing the respondents to make arrangement of proper treatment for COVID/non-COVID patients in hospitals.
Malhotra, the petitioner in person, supported the application and submitted that there have been several instances where non-COVID patients are required to undergo surgery and other emergent procedures in the hospitals and the concerned hospital require the patients to undergo a COVID-19 test before the said procedure or surgery, but are unable to get the tests done as they are not permitted to do so by the Delhi government.
Sharma, in his fresh application, sought directions to the respondents to publish the correct data on their websites, in terms of the order dated May 4 passed in the present petition.
He also submitted that the respondents and all hospitals and nursing homes who have been permitted to treat COVID-19 patients must publish on their websites, the status of vacancy of beds on a daily basis so that patients are not forced to run from pillar to post.
Earlier, the High Court had directed the government to continue updating its website on a regular basis to reflect the correct number of tests that are being conducted for COVID-19 in Delhi, with mention of the number of cases that are positive or negative and state the number of results that are pending after the tests are conducted.
The court disposed of the plea filed by Malhotra, who raised an issue that the Delhi government was not taking expeditious steps to furnish reports after conducting tests for COVID-19 on suspected patients, within a reasonable time of 48 hours or even earlier. He said that due to such delay, the contact tracing is also getting delayed and the infection is multiplying rapidly in the city.
