HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Tuesday asked the state government to inform it about the plan of action formulated to counter a likely third wave of the coronavirus spread during which children are feared to be the worst-affected.
Chief Justice Hima Kohli said the court was surprised that the status report
filed by the director of public health has reserved only one facility, the
Niloufer Hospital, for treating such children. The court noted that the
hospital has just a few beds.
Advocate L. Ravichander told the court about the bed availability in
Niloufer Hospital, which he said was the only government hospital in
Telangana State specializing in treatment for children. “Only eight ICU
beds and 12 oxygen beds are available in the hospital to treat children in a
critical condition,” he said.
In response, Chief Justice Kohli said, “some 8,000 children hailing from one
district in Maharashtra have been affected by Covid-19 during this wave.
Going by this kind of (insufficient) preparedness, the health of our future
generation is at stake.”
The court noted that the counter filed by the public health director had
given no details of the infrastructure, medical equipment and technical
manpower to handle these machines, or of the requisite drugs for treating
children in anticipation of the third wave.
“Several members of the advocate community have lost their lives due to the
pandemic,” Ravichander told the court.
He explained how a young advocate at age 35 lost his life, and complained
that there was a serious shortfall of the medicines in the state. He said
the state government continued to act contrary to court orders in relation
to RTPCR tests and the tests for the old and the disabled.
Counsel Chikudu Prabhaker pointed out how the promised rations are not being
supplied in the state and how the distressed poor are committing suicide.
Noting that several directions issued by the court in the past had not been
complied with, the high court asked the public health director to appear
before it on Wednesday, June 2, on virtual mode, and explain matters.
The court also directed the additional solicitor general representing the
central government to inform it as to the quantities of the life-saving
drugs that are supplied to the Telangana State for treating patients
suffering from black fungus disease. Since May 26, the central government
has not supplied even the allocated vials, it heard.
The court sought to know the reason for this lag and directed the ASG to
come up with all details by Wednesday.
