Don't Shoot The Messenger, SC Tells Delhi Govt To Stop Harassing, Filling FIRs Against Doctors

The Supreme Court has come down heavily on the Delhi government for harassing and threatening doctors raising concerns about the situation of the hospitals in the national capital.

The Supreme Court warned the Delhi government not to "shoot the messenger" after an FIR was lodged against a doctor for video-graphing and disclosing the situation prevailing in a government hospital in north Delhi and suspended for sharing the video.

AP

The authorities should ¡°stop harassing him¡±, it said. A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan observed that doctors and nurses are corona warriors and they need to be protected.

The top court was hearing the matter in which it had taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance on the treatment being meted out to COVID-19 patients and handling of bodies in hospitals. Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, appearing for the Delhi government, told the top court that they are committed to patient care, managing of dead bodies and increasing the number of COVID-19 tests in the national capital.

AP

The bench, also comprising Justices S K Kaul and M R Shah, was informed by Jain that after the recent visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to LNJP Hospital, things are being improved.

The top court, while referring to the poor management of COVID-19 patients and handling of dead bodies earlier, told the Delhi government to ¡°redeem all this¡± which was done earlier. The bench told the Centre that they must have a policy on discharge of COVID-19 patients in tune with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines.

BCCL

On June 12, the top court while taking note of the reports of ¡°horrific scenes¡± at Delhi's COVID-19 dedicated LNJP hospital where bodies are being stacked next to coronavirus patients, had said that it indicated the ¡°sorry state of affairs¡± in government hospitals. The apex court had directed Chief Secretaries of the Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Gujarat to take "remedial action" ensuring proper management of patients at hospitals.

The court had issued notices to the Centre and the four states observing that apart from Delhi, the situation was ¡°grim¡± at the hospitals there as well vis-a-vis treatment of coronavirus patients and handling of the bodies.

BCCL

On handling of the bodies of COVID-19 victims, the top court said there was ¡°no proper adherence to the guidelines¡± of the health ministry and the hospitals are not giving ¡°due care and concern to the dead bodies¡±. The top court had also wondered about the fewer COVID tests being conducted in Delhi and asked the government to ensure that there should be ¡°steep increase in the testing both by Government hospitals and private labs¡± as ¡°non-testing of the patients is not a solution to the problem¡±.