Amicus curiae Senior Advocate Rupinder Singh Khosla has moved an application before the Punjab and Haryana High Court to revive the disposed petition concerning Covid related facilities in the states of Punjab, Haryana, and the UT of Chandigarh, highlighting the critical condition of Covid patients and the lack of oxygen supply faced by hospitals.
In the pursuit of justice, Khosla's application also seeks the indictment of the Union of India, through its Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court, in an order dated April 23, 2021, disposed of a petition concerning the bad situation of the covid 19 pandemic by ordering that the Secretaries, Legal Services Authority in each District be members of a Committee/Nodal Agencies comprised of Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police, Representative of Municipal Counsel/Corporation, and Civil Surgeon formed for the disposal of the pandemic.
"Persons who wear the masks casually leaving their mouth and/or nose exposed will be regarded on the same basis as those who do not wear the mask at all and subject to the same disciplinary action," Justice Rajan Gupta and Justice Karamjit Singh wrote for the Court.
In the Application moved by the Amicus curiae yesterday, it has been provided thus:
"That today in the morning it has come to the knowledge of the Amicus Curiae that PGI as well as Government Hospital-16 have exhausted their capacity for critical patients ie. beds with ventilators and many critical patients are running from pillar to posts in search for beds with ventilators in the tricity. That it has also been reported in sections of the press that various hospitals in the State of Punjab are facing logistical problems regarding supply of oxygen. It is prayed that not only the State of Punjab but also the Union of India may please be directed to sort out the issue as soon as possible, to avoid any catastrophe."
The application also notes that the Supreme Court has taken suo moto cognizance of the current Covid situation around the country, and that the records and affidavits submitted by the States in the matter prove that the current Covid situation is widespread. "infrastructure to fight the Pandemic is at its edge and can tilt over anytime, if not already."
"That the present emergent situation has resulted in moving of the present application so as to revive the present petition and so that the Union of India can be directed to supply ventilators and other medical infrastructure for the region, today itself otherwise many precious lives will be lost," the Application reads.
The petition was filed by Advocate Sarvesh Malik, and the High Court is expected to hear it on Monday (April 26, 2021).
