Ahmedabad: Human life is precious and cannot be wasted, the Gujarat High Court said Saturday. The Gujarat High Court also pulled up the Civil Hospital here, for its poor handling of COVID-19 patients. So far 377 persons have died due to COVID-19 infection in the Civil Hospital here. The court called the hospital ‘as good as a dungeon, maybe even worse’. The court also said ‘poor and helpless patients had no option’ but to rely on it during this medical crisis.
“As we said earlier the Civil Hospital is meant to treat the patients. However, it appears that as on date, it is as good as dungeon, may be even worst then a dungeon. Unfortunately, the poor and helpless patients have no option but to go there,” the order read.
The Civil Hospital has reported the highest number of coronavirus-related deaths in the state, the bench observed. It has so far accounted for 45 per cent of the total coronavirus deaths in Gujarat. “If we calculate weekly deaths, the Civil Hospital contributes to highest (number of) deaths during the last eight weeks. It is very distressing to note that most of the patients in the Civil Hospital are dying after four days or more of the treatment. This indicates complete lack of critical care,” the court said.
Gujarat has reported over 13,000 COVID-19 cases and 829 deaths so far. It is the third-highest state tally after Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. This city alone has more than 10,000 cases and so far 669 people have died.
In its order, the court also slammed the Gujarat Health Minister Nitinbhai Ratilal Patel. It also sought a report from Vijay Rupani-led state government.
“We are very sorry to state that the Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad, as on date, appears to be in an extremely bad shape. Ordinarily, the citizens hailing from a poor strata of society are being treated at the Civil Hospital. This does not mean that human life is not to be protected. Human life is extremely precious and it should not be allowed to be lost at a place like the Civil Hospital at Ahmedabad,” the order read.
“We wonder, how many times the Health Minster of the State has visited the Civil Hospital. Does the Health Minister of the State of Gujarat has any idea about the problems which the patients, doctors, nursing staff and other employees are facing as on date?” the court asked during the hearing.
The Civil Hospital, located in Asarwa area, is also regarded as one of the biggest civic-run medical facilities in Asia. It has 1,200 beds dedicated for treating of COVID-19 patients. However, most patients are being treated in general wards, the court observed.
“It has been submitted that at the SVP and Civil Hospital, all the COVID-19 patients are being treated in a general ward only, and the rooms continue to remain unoccupied leading to an artificial shortage of beds,” the court observed.
“Everyone must be permitted to have a COVID-19 test done,” the court said. It added that ‘the rates for testing by private laboratories must have a ceiling cap, which in the present case is Rs 4,500’.
Agencies
