Obligation of Delhi govt to provide beds with ventilator facility: High Court
May 06, 2021
New Delhi [India], May 6 : The Delhi High Court on Thursday said that there are many people who are infected with the COVID-19 but could not approach the Court, thereby making it clear that the Delhi Government shall provide medical treatment to everyone who needs, observing that medical infrastructure has been shambled.
The Court said that "right to life, is an absolute right but it doesn't mean that the Court will give precedence over someone else."
A Division Bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli's observations came while dealing with a patient's petition seeking ICU with ventilation.
The Court noted that there are 1,000s of others who are infected with COVID-19 and would have an equal claim but these people may not have the resources to approach the court.
"It shall be the obligation of State to provide beds with ventilation facility," said the High Court, making it clear that "Merely because we have passed this order, it does not give any preferential right to the petitioner.".
However, the lawyer of the patient claimed that he has filed the petition pro bono.
The court also noted the COVID virus has mutated and turned lethal as it caused inflammation in the lungs and onset on pneumonia in the lungs.
It also noted that in most of the case the patient requires supervision in ICU and even ventilator.
The High Court said the obligation of the State to provide sufficient infrastructure to save the lives of people can't be understated and even the most economically advanced nation, have found their infrastructure to be lacking to deal with a massive surge of cases.
The Court also said that the existing medical infrastructure in the State is being completely exposed when it is put to test and the court cannot turn away the petitioner by merely telling him that the state doesn't have the infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Delhi recorded 335 deaths, 19,133 new COVID infections and 20,028 recoveries in the last 24 hours, as per the Delhi Health department today.
