HC stays Telangana govt order to stop ambulances carrying Covid patients from other states

The Telangana High Court has stayed the state government's order to allow ambulances with covid patients coming from neighbouring states only if they have a prior appointment with hospitals. the court said the state does not have the right to stop the ambulances and everyone has the right to save their lives as per Article 21 of the Constitution.

Hyderabad:The Telangana High Court on Friday stayed the Telangana government's order to allow ambulances with patients coming from neighbouring states only if they have a prior appointment with hospitals and said the state does not have the right to stop the ambulances and everyone has the right to save their lives as per Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.

The High Court was hearing the issue of ambulances to Hyderabad being stopped at inter-state borders in Telangana.

Read:|Telangana stops Covid patients at state border

Andhra Pradesh Government impleaded in the hearing of the petition. Andhra Pradesh Advocate General S Sriram argued on behalf of the state government. Telangana High Court Chief Justice heard the objections raised by the Andhra Pradesh Government.

The Telangana Police on Friday denied entry to ambulances and vehicles carrying COVID-19 patients from Andhra Pradesh into the state at the border.

The Suryapet Superintendent of Police R. Bhaskaran said in a statement that all ambulances coming from Andhra Pradesh to Telangana for COVID treatment and personal vehicles were being checked. He said those coming for treatment would only be allowed into Telangana if they had a hospital appointment as well as an authorization pass from the Director of Health Covid control centre.

People must have both the documents and then only they should come to Telangana, he added.

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Many ambulances from Andhra Pradesh were stopped at Garikapadu's checkpoint for hours. A woman said that she was stuck at Gadwal on the Andhra Pradesh-Telangana border since 4 am.

"They have stopped us since 4 am. As oxygen was about to finish the reporters helped me. I went back to the Kurnool area and filled the oxygen in an ambulance and came back. Even this oxygen will only last for two hours," said the woman.

She complained that no one was responding from the Andhra Pradesh or the Telangana government.

(with agency inputs)

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