Chhattisgarh Government, the Central Government and Railways have on Friday submitted their data to the High Court of Chhattisgarh in connection with suo moto Covid-19 public interest litigation (PIL).

A division bench comprising of Chief Justice of the High Court P R Ramachandra Menon and Judge of the High Court Justice Parth Prateem Sahu heard the PIL on Friday through video conference.

 

Advocate General Satish Chandra Verma informed the Court that a meeting of the officers of the Chhattisgarh Government and officers of the South East Central Railway Bilaspur was held, in which the Railways have expressed its inability to provide staff, oxygen and other facilities in the special medical coaches.

Assistant Solicitor General for Government of India Ramakant Sinha, during the hearing, informed the High Court that the Central government is regularly coordinating with all states regarding medical facilities like supply of oxygen and drugs to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

The Assistant Solicitor General further informed the Court that the Central government is ready to provide all supports

to the State Government formanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Amicus Curiae Prafull N Bharat during hearing, raised the plight of the corona patients at Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS), Bilaspur and informed the Court that the beds were reserved for Very Important Persons (VIPs) at the CIMS, while the corona patients died due to the lack of beds at the CIMS. Advocate General Satish Chandra Verma objecting it denied that the beds have been kept reserved for the VIPs at the CIMS.

 

Advocate General Verma provided the data of the Chhattisgarh government to the Court about numbers of beds, oxygen beds, ventilators, number of vacant beds, number of covid hospitals and other medical facilities. Counsel for the Railways Abhishek Sinha informed the Court that the Railways are ready to extend the maximum cooperation to the State government to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. All the parties were asked to submit the data.

 

The division bench heard all the parties in the case. The High Court will pass an order on April 26 in this case. The counsel for the Intervenor informed the Court that there is an alarming increase in the number of corona patients with rising causalities and inadequacy in infrastructure, particularly as to the availability of beds and oxygen support in the hospitals of the state. The patients with serious conditions are running from pillar to post for treatment in the state, the counsel added.