Delhi High Court asks Centre, Delhi govt to file status report on arrangements and helplines to deal with COVID-19 patients

High Court has also asked the two governments to assess the adequacy of the helpline capacity and state whether the same is sufficient to deal with the present call traffic.

The Delhi High Court took suo motu cognizance of a viral video of a man and directed the Centre as well as the Delhi government to file their status report on all the aspects mentioned in the video recording.

The video gone viral on social media features a man, who has expressed his helplessness and non-responsive attitude of the Central and Delhi government helpline numbers dedicated to addressing the grievance related to COVID-19.

Dharmendra Bhardwaj, in the video, expressed his helplessness and anguish, at the claims made by the Delhi government and the Central government with regard to adequate arrangements being in place – to deal with patients of COVID-19 who require hospitalisation and treatment – are far from true on the ground.

In the video, he has shared how he had to run from pillar to post to arrange a ventilator and a bed for his COVID-19 positive mother in several hospitals and when he dialled the helpline numbers of Delhi government and Centre he received no response.

Bhardwaj has maintained a complete record of the calls that he has made, and he is willing to share the information with regard to his own experience.

The Division Bench of Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar has appointed amicus curiae in the matter and asked the Centre and Delhi government to file a status report. The matter will be taken up on June 3 by the bench headed by Delhi High Court Chief Justice DN Patel.

The High Court has also asked the two governments to assess the adequacy of the helpline capacity and state whether the same is sufficient to deal with the present call traffic and the traffic expected in the foreseeable future.

“Keeping in view the continuous rise in the number of cases being reported each day. In our view, the helpline numbers of the GNCTD should also provide guidance and information to the caller as to which hospital has beds available for the treatment of serious COVID-19 patients – both in Government and Private Hospitals, particularly in the proximity of the caller patient’s location. The capacity created to deal with calls made on the helpline numbers; the nature of assistance rendered, and; the log maintained for the same, if any, should also be placed before the Court,” the court observed.

After taking suo moto cognisance of the grievances faced by the citizen whose mother is COVID-19 positive, the High Court has directed both the Centre as well as the Delhi Government to place on record the status of arrangements and helplines put in place to deal with serious COVID-19 patients who need hospitalisation.