High Court Asks KCR To Take A Call On Weekend Curfew

A bench of the Telangana High Court, comprising Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy, today issued a barrage of orders to the TRS-led state government for the management of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in the state.

The orders were issued while the bench was addressing a batch of PILs filed on the issue of the management of the pandemic. DGP M Mahender Reddy and the state's Director of Public Health Dr G Srinivas Rao both appeared in court for the hearing.

The bench urged the government to take a decision on whether it would impose a weekend curfew in the state or increase the duration of the current night curfew to deal with the growing number of Covid-19 cases. The government will reportedly need to take a call on the matter before May 8.

Expressing its discontent at the low number of Covid-19 tests being carried out in Telangana, the bench asked the government to conduct one lakh tests daily. It also asked the government to fix the maximum price that could be charged by private hospitals for the treatment of Covid-19 besides asking it to issue detailed guidelines regarding the same.

When the health director tried to explain that the dip in testing numbers was a result of the low turnout at testing centres, the bench did not accept the explanation citing several reports of ongoing queues outside testing facilities. In fact, it not only reiterated the need to increase testing but also asked that RTPCR test results be given back to people within 24 hours wherever possible.

It enquired about the number of tests being conducted at the state's mobile Covid-19 centres as well, and ordered the government to set up toll-free helplines in all the districts of the state as it had done for the residents of Hyderabad's GHMC area so that the public could avail themselves of tele-consultation services.

The DGP was asked to deploy police personnel outside Covid-19 hospitals who would provide assistance to patients and attendants arriving at the hospitals.

Talking about the vaccination program for the state's homeless population and the inmates of jails and orphanages, Kohli and Reddy asked the government about its plans regarding the immunisation of the three groups.

When asked about the procurement of medical oxygen, Advocate General B S Prasad replied that the Tamil Nadu government was obstructing the transportation of oxygen to the state from Sriperumbudur and this meant that the state was being unable to meet its daily demand of 600 MT.

Unsatisfied by this response, the HC asked that steps be taken for the transportation of the oxygen not only from Sriperumbudur but also from other parts of the country, and that all other treatment supplies also be procured in adequate amounts.

It asked the state government, once again, to constitute an expert committee in two days' time to oversee the management of the pandemic. The government was told to submit the details of the minutes of the meetings of the committee as well as the details of the crematorium facilities available in the state.

"All dormant crematoriums should be opened again so that bereaved families can ensure that their deceased kin are given a dignified funeral," the bench said.

Further, it demanded that steps be taken to check the black marketing of lifesaving drugs like Remdesivir and Tocilizumab.

With regard to large gatherings, the bench asked the TRS regime to issue a GO stating that not more than 200 people would be allowed to attend family functions and no more than 50 people would be allowed to take part in funereal ceremonies.

To encourage mask-wearing, the state's apex court then asked the government to increase checking and fines on violators.