The Gujarat High Court on Friday lambasted the state government and the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) for its casual approach in dealing with the spread of swine flu and directed them to take measures as if it is a “wartime”.
During the hearing of a PIL alleging that the poor health infra in the government-run hospitals is resulting in the uninhibited spread of H1N1, the division bench of Acting Chief Justice AS Dave and Justice Biren Vaishnav remarked that the health facility in the state-run institutions is poor and there is no doubt about it. The court also rebuked the AMC for the lack of isolation ward in the hospitals operated by it. Justice Dave remarked: “Your state-of-the-art VS Hospital does not have an isolation ward.”
Notably, the court had earlier directed the state, as well as the civic body, to file an affidavit stating the ground reality of the infrastructure available in government health institutions. However, the state, as well as AMC, failed to file an affidavit in this regard on Friday. While the state did not file any reply to the court's queries, the AMC counsel tried to submit a page providing some of the sought details.
This further irked the court, which said: “We do not want loose papers. We want affidavits on record with the details we are seeking from the authorities”. Meanwhile, counsel for the petitioner KR Koshti alleged that the state is manipulating the data related to swine flu and not providing the real figures.
AMC commissioner asked to file affidavit
Unhappy with the lackadaisical approach of the AMC authorities in the case, the division bench on Friday ordered the AMC commissioner to file an affidavit in the court providing details of the infrastructure in civic-run hospitals to tackle swine flu cases by Monday. The court also directed AMC not to harass people by making them run from pillar-to-post for treatment and improve the coordination among its hospitals. It also directed the civic body to do away with the paperwork to reduce the harassment faced by patients and their relatives.
HC asks state to clarify on infra and preparatory measures
After the state's counsel submitted that the spread of swine flu will reduce after two-weeks, the court directed the government to clarify on the medical infra available in district hospitals to tackle swine flu cases as well as the preparatory steps it had taken to counter its spread before the onset of monsoon. The court also remarked that the disease will repeat every year and the government should be well-prepared to tackle the same.
THE ORDER
The court had earlier directed the state, as well as the civic body, to file an affidavit stating the ground reality of the infrastructure available in government health institutions.
However, the state, as well as AMC, failed to file an affidavit in this regard on Friday.
H1N1 figures in Ahmedabad
Year: 2019
No of test done: 1,549
Positive cases: 800
*AMC data till Feb 11
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