New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the states and the centre to file an affidavit over the compliance of court's directions for proper treatment of COVID 19 patients and asked the chief secretaries to ensure compliance.
The three-judge bench led by Justice Ashok Bhushan was hearing a suo moto case initiated for proper handling of COVID patients in hospitals in view of certain incidents that highlighted the plight of patients.
In the case of Centre, the apex court said that though the Union government has filed an affidavit, it does not give details of compliance of the order, except that directions have been issued to comply with it.
"Mere direction to comply with the directions is not enough. The steps taken towards compliance of the directions have to be brought on record," the bench said.
The bench asked the states to file a response within two weeks.
"We are of the view that the Chief Secretaries of the States have to take steps to ensure that directions issued by this court in order dated June 19, 2020, are complied with. An appropriate compliance report is to be filed," the bench said.
On June 19, the SC directed the Centre and States to set up an expert panel for effective monitoring, supervision, and guidance of government and COVID dedicated hospitals for providing proper health care to the patients.
The apex court had also directed the Union government to bring uniformity in charges of testing and other facilities and ordered it to constitute an expert committee of senior doctors of Central government hospitals, GNCTD run hospitals, AIIMS and a responsible officer from Union health ministry.
It had said that the expert committee shall inspect, supervise and issue necessary directions to all Government hospitals, COVID hospitals and other hospitals in NCT of Delhi taking care of COVID patients and the panel shall ensure that at least one visit in each hospital is done weekly.
The bench had directed that all States shall also constitute an expert team of doctors and other experts for inspection, supervision and guidance of Government hospitals and other hospitals dedicated to COVID-19 in each State who may inspect, supervise the hospitals in the State and issue necessary directions for the improvement to the concerned hospital and report to the Government.
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