HC seeks report on availability of safety equipments for healthcare professionals

JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Saturday sought a report from the administration on the availability of safety equipment to healthcare professionals and ensuring provision of care to families of healthcare and government employees or officials engaged in the fight against COVID-19.
Asking the Social Welfare Department to formulate a network to attend to the needs of the family members and dependents of all personnel attending to Covid-19 issues, the court sought a report on same before the next date of hearing.
It also called for considering the possibility of running 24-hour canteens in all health institutions to enable provision of the necessities of the healthcare and other personnel engaged in addressing the COVID-19 issues.

Lauds J&K, Ladakh Govts; appreciates efforts of DC Shahid, DC Sushma

Ask for forming network to attend to needs of frontline workers’ families

HPC directed to urgently examine release of those detained under PSA

Hearing a plea via video conference, the coram comprising Chief Justice Jammu and Kashmir High Court Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Rajnesh Oswal appreciated the efforts of governments of J&K and Ladakh on the coronavirus pandemic and lauded the role of district administrations, police and legal services authority in ensuring continuity of essential services to the people.
The court especially appreciated the initiative, drive and unstinted hard work of Dr Shahid Iqbal Chaudhary, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar and Sushma Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner Jammu for their efforts in the two main densely populated cities of Jammu and Kashmir for efficiently leading to detection of the infected, identification of the sources of infection and ensuring continuity of all essential services in the districts.
The coram directed the Department of Health and Medical Education to inform the court regarding the availability of personal protection equipment for the safety of all healthcare workers.
"The steps taken to ensure availability of equipment as also the proposals for ensuring the same to all healthcare professionals in Jammu and Kashmir as well as Ladakh should be placed before us before the next date of hearing," it said.
The Coram observed that health officials and other personnel engaged in the Covid-19 management requires them to be out of homes way beyond normal eight-hour duty routines and therefore it becomes necessary to create a network/body of persons who would attend to the needs of the family members/dependents of all personnel (including those in the healthcare services) attending to Covid-19 issues.
It directed the Administrative Secretary Social Welfare to examine and take a decision on creation of machinery for addressing the aspect. “The administration could look to the NGOs/citizen volunteers for mobilising a proper system for this and creation an e-request dedicated mechanism for interaction. A nodal officer would need to be identified for this purpose who would monitor the working of the system,” the Coram added.
On the issue of safety, care, health and violence against professionals and clinical establishments, the court observed that it is painful to note that such a critical matter is being randomly addressed and 19 legislations are in existence in separate states with reports on the matter showing hardly any prosecutions.
"To address the basic issues relating to the current pandemic, it has been necessary to take recourse to the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897. This legislation has to be visited in the light to technology developments and the current experiences. Thus even the provisions of this enactment need a serious re-examination," it said.
The High Court also called for preparing the public and dissemination of essential information for the possibility of a partial or a full removal of the lockdown restrictions after April 14, 2020.
“There are no confirmed reports about the progression of the infection or life of the virus. It is therefore imperative to prepare the public about the permissible conduct upon removal of the restrictions (partial or complete); progression of the COVID-19 virus infection and life of the virus; possibility of carriers existing and infecting despite the lockdown and all related information,” the Coram said.
It directed Administrative Secretary Health and Medical Education Department; Administrative Secretary Social Welfare Department; Director Information Department; Member Secretary JK State Legal Services Authority to immediately take appropriate action as may be required on the aforementioned aspect.
The action plan in this regard shall be placed before us by the Director Information before the next date of hearing, the Coram directed.
During the proceedings, the coram called for urgent implementation of Jammu and Kashmir Suspension of Sentence Rules, 2020 and steps for grant of special parole to prisoners as envisaged therein on priority.
It called upon concerned principal district and sessions judges to ensure that all visiting judges in jails and also the concerned courts take immediate action based on the recommendation of the high-powered committee (appointed in terms of the order dated March 23, 2020 of the Supreme Court) with regard to prisoners.
During the course of hearing, one Advocate Salih Pirzada submitted that the High Powered Committee has overlooked the aspect of detenues who have been detained under the Public Safety Act.
To this court directed him to place his submissions to be placed before the HPC for urgent examination and dealing with the issues pointed out.
“The High Powered Committee shall keep in view the urgency of the entire matter,” it said.

Comment on this Story