HC asks Centre, Delhi govt, MCDs to give accommodations to health workers

The Delhi High Court Thursday asked the Centre, Delhi government and municipal corporations to provide accommodations to all the health workers, who are willing to avail it, so that they do not carry the COVID-19 infection to homes and infect their family members.

The high court also asked the Delhi government to examine issuing an order under the Disaster Management Act so that such facilities are also made available to health workers of private and charitable hospitals here.

In our view, it is desirable that such a facility is available to all frontline workers since it is likely that they may carry the infection to homes and infect family members, a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh said.

The bench said the hospitals being run by the Centre and municipal corporations should similarly provide facility to the health workers, including doctors, nurses, paramedics and other supporting staff.

The court, which asked the Delhi government, Centre and MCDs to file their respective status reports in this regard, also directed the Delhi Police to file its status report on the facilities available to their personnel and listed the issue for hearing on May 24.

The court was informed that a large number of policemen who are posted at hospitals, crematoriums and oxygen refilling stations are also exposed to the virus and 25 of them have already died and they should also be provided with accommodation facilities.

The court took up the issue raised by senior advocate Krishnan Venugopal that transportation facilities shall be made available to the health workers from the hospitals to the place of their stay.

It is essential to provide such transportation facility to them to prevent spread of the disease to them or by them while availing transportation, the bench said.

It directed that the Delhi government, Centre and MCDs shall take steps in this regard and the AAP government shall also indicate this aspect in the order to be passed under DM Act.

The court had on April 30 directed the Delhi government to consider use of hotels and hospitals by health workers so that they do not spread the infection to their family members when they go home after their duties.