Thread by @barandbench

Delhi High Court begins hearing plea concerning #COVID19 cases in the national capital.

Hearing before Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli.

#COVID19India
@CMODelhi

Issue is very critical. Home collection is closed. Patient has to go to labs. 500-700 are standing outside : Adv Rakesh Malhotra

#COVID19

We all know .. you are not living in outer space.. it's not that labs are deliberately doing it.. very part of the medical system.. is stretched because capacities are not there and it can be done over night : Court

This is not adversarial : Court

I was not blaming the labs.. the Delhi Govt said if you delay report by 24 hours, you will be banned .. that's why they stopped : Malhotra

Is this is way to deal with the situation?.. my own uncle runs the lab.. (cousin said) I'm going crazy. There is unending flood of people.. why do you want to put such conditions: Justice Sanghi to Delhi Govt

#COVID19

We will take whatever remedial steps. The test will lose significance if govt says there is no upper limit.. some may take advantage : Senior Adv Rahul Mehra

What is he got to gain by doing this? It's not that he would get more business: Court

Nobody in today's day and age is acting in that fashion : Court

#COVID19

Tomorrow then people should not come to court saying labs are not giving results.. : Mehra

I'm saying 48 hours : Malhotra

You may definitely take action (if someone delays report by 5 days): Court

Mehra says he will ensure that a workable pragmatic call is taken keeping in mind the present situation.

We have to take everyone together: Mehra

For the time being, 48 hours is given. Under fear, samples are not being collected: Malhotra

Second is that RT PCR is on patient and travellers. For suspects, symptomatic persons, it must be 48 hours: Malhotra

How will the lab make that distinction: Court

Limited supply of Oxygen.. we have private, centre, municipal hospitals.. in Ganga Ram there are 500 beds and they are short of oxygen.. patients will suffer : Malhotra

Safdarjung, AIIMS have their own oxygen plants.. they have capacity. In the meantime, alternate arrangements can be made : Malhotra

All that is being done. We are keeping a tab : Court

Currently across India, whereever there is surge, oxygen is in less supply. Centre has already taken steps : Mehra

That is also there. Some critical industry will get..: Court

300 metric ton oxygen starting April 20 was to be given to Delhi : Mehra

Considering that Centre is aware and we have also written to increase the oxygen.. we have requested in case they could give us 700 m ton a day. We are expecting that Centre will look at it in a positive manner : Mehra

In case the court wants to put it to Mr Sharma .. : Mehra

Centre has taken steps on oxygen and beds .. we would put it on affidavit: Adv Meenakshi Arora for Centre

We'll also put everything on affidavit: Mehra

We'll have it tomorrow only : Court

Malhotra says oxygen can be supplied from AIIMS, Safdarjung.

Correction: Adv Monica Arora appears for Centre.

We have asked for 7k more beds from Central Government. Centre has Committed 500 beds at DRDO. Very soon that will be functional : Mehra

Lots of people from neighbouring areas come to Delhi. 30-40 ambulances from neighbouring states at LNJP : Mehra

Even if some beds are allocated to Delhi Govt, you will not be able to deny beds to people from Haryana etc..it then seems like a paper exercise: Court

Mehra says these beds are unutilised.

They are can keep that segregated...some can be added to the tally of COVID beds. We need it now : Mehra

Isolation centres have been made for less serious patients. Railways will also give 1000 beds: Arora

We would like that lesson are taken from past lockdown. Thing in which govt's failed miserably was migrant labourers: Court

You have Rs 3,000 crore lying in building fund.. we are going to direct you to utilise the funds. Schools are closed, what are Kitchens doing.. Kitchens should be asked to cook meals and distribute it. : Court

Both the govts failed miserably.. Civil society is one thing. What is the govt doing you left it to good Samaritans.. you left it to them: Court

Last time lot of things happened.. we will do whatever we can. This is a humanitarian crisis.. Money is always there with the govt : Mehra

Court says it faced a lot of difficulty while dealing with the issue of construction workers.

Our heart beats for the poor.. we will do whatever is required. I don't see there being any obstruction. We have to ensure that ..leaders not only say things but also implement: Mehra

Court starts dictating order.

Matter was disposed of in January 14, 2021.. #COVID19 has raised it ugly head once again.. the pandemic is raging with much greater intensity: Court

Number of COVID positive patients being reported on a daily basis has exceeded 25k in NCT of Delhi.. Country has recorded over two lakh cases. Positivity rate is of more than 10% (in some districts) : Court

Court notes 15-20% would require hospitalization.

It is evident that the healthcare infra is at the stage of imminent collapse: Court

GNCTD has issued an order imposing curfew for six days.. : Court

Court records the submissions made by Malhotra

We cannot appreciate this stand if it is true (on labs being penalized if reports are delayed): Court

Mehra says nothing is placed on record with respect to the CM pressor.

I can also vouch for it : Justice Rekha Palli

The same would only be counter productive. We have to be clear that labs.. are also hard pressed because of the very large numbers. It would not serve the internet of any labs to negligently or deliberately delay : Court

Court directs labs to declare results as soon as possible.

Court notes an order passed by the court last year directing GNCTD to ensure that samples are processed and reports published within 24 hours.

We expect that labs continue to give reports within said period : Court

Mr Mehra points out that Centre has already issued orders (on oxygen supply) : Court

Mehra urges Court to record its submission on Delhi govt requesting Centre for more oxygen

A company Imox has stopped supplying oxygen to Delhi and diverted it to another State.. :

Where is it going: Court

It becomes political: Mehra

It's not political for us : Court

It's one of the larger States. I will leave it at that : Mehra

Correction: Inox not Imox.

Let Centre look into this aspect on emergent basis (request for more oxygen) : Court

Court records submissions with respect to Inox.

We direct Inox to honour its contract with GNCTD and hospitals in Delhi and continue to supply oxygen and restore 140 metric ton supply immediately which shall in turn be supplied to needy hospitals in Delhi: Court

Mehra urges Court to ask Centre to file affidavit on augmenting supply of remdesivir and Fabiflu.

Court directs filing of affidavit on status and capacity of beds.

Aspect of increasing beds in Centre govt hospital should be considered: Court

Court seeks affidavit on COVID beds allocated by Centre.

Court directs that no action be taken by authorities pursuant to direction, if any, on action against labs on account of delayed results.

We've been seeing reports about migrant labourers going back.. with imposition of curfew, the daily wagers are again faced with a grim reality. On the last occasion, civil society had come forward. : Court

We may say that we found that State failed to utilise thousands of crores lying in its account under teh building workers act: Court

The building*

We direct GNCTD to draw from the said account if necessary and provide food to needy daily wagers at their worksite: Court

Court directs GNCTD to utilise the service of midday meal contractors.

The Chief Secretary shall ensure implementation of this direction without any futher delay : Court

You come up with something tomorrow. How you are doing to implement it: Court

Centre should examine the availability of oxygen in different States and its need for treatment so that oxygen can be diverted to areas where it is most required : Court

If situation is that oxygen is getting over in Ganga Ram..if oxygen is not utilised in DRDO.. : Court

I don't have instructions. DRDO was to start from today itself.. everything will come on affidavit on instructions: Arora

We'll not pass any order (on this aspect): Court

Hearing adjourned till tomorrow.