Mumbai News

PIL on shortage of hospital beds, oxygen, Remdesivir: Bombay HC seeks Maharashtra govt’s response – Times of India

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Tuesday sought the response of the Maharashtra government on a public interest litigation regarding the shortage of hospital beds, oxygen and Remdesivir injections for Covid-19 patients.
“Take complete instructions.. The PIL has raised serious concerns about the control and spread of the pandemic,’’ a bench of chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice Girish Kulkarni told the government pleader.
The PIL filed by advocate Snehal Marjadi has highlighted the difficulties faced by patients and their relatives in procuring beds and also mentioned the shortage of oxygen and the unavailability of Remdesivir injection which is one of the important drugs for treatment of Covid-19 patients.
She gave her personal example after she tested positive about the delay in receiving results of the rapid antigen test and how her husband was asked by a nursing home to bring a doctor’s prescription to take the test.
On April 18 her aunt was hospitalised and the hospital asked them to arrange for 6 vials of Remdesivir.
Marjadi and her relatives in vain made all efforts, including posting on social media to get the injections.
Her petition alleged that some hospitals and doctors are black marketing Ramdesivir injections at high rates taking advantage of the situation.
She urged the high court’s intervention “to monitor the supply of the injection by pharmaceutical companies and procurement by the respondents and/or hospitals at consistent price all over the state to stop black marketing and panic situation about the unavailability.”
Also, to call for a status report on availability of beds in hospitals, laboratory test facilities, procurement of Remdesivir injections and oxygen.
Marjadi’s petition cited Bombay HC’s Nagpur bench’s April 13, 2021 order in a suo motu PIL regarding the centralisation and administering dosage of Remdesivir in Nagpur.
A reference was also made to the high courts of Gujarat and Allahabad taking suo motu cognisance of the multiple difficulties in the management of Covid-19.
Advocate Arshil Shah, appearing for Marjadi, submitted that only after Nagpur bench’s intervention some 10,000 vials were made available last night.
“People have been losing their lives waiting for beds. Even after losing lives the ordeal never ends,’’said Shah.
He pointed to a picture of a woman receiving oxygen sitting in a rickshaw.
The judges, however, expressed displeasure at a politician being quoted in an exhibit to the PIL.
“Why do you include politician’s comments? Are you interested in the poor, underprivileged and needy or you want to highlight a political issue?” the CJ asked.
Shah said he will omit the relevant pages on the politician’s tweets.
The judges said the PIL should have been confined only for the benefit of the people concerned and the petitioner being an advocate should have been careful.
“What politicians do we know very well…We are not influenced by political comments,’’ said the CJ.
Posting the hearing on Thursday, the judges also asked that BMC and the Centre keep its responses ready.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/pil-on-shortage-of-hospital-beds-oxygen-remdesivir-bombay-hc-seeks-maharashtra-govts-response/articleshow/82161859.cms