Lack of facilities, Internet at quarantines: HC seeks govt

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday sought a reply from the government over alleged lack of facilities including the Internet at hospitals in Nagpur, Yavatmal and Akola districts of Maharashtra where several suspected coronavirus patients have been quarantined.

Justices Sunil Shukre and Avinash Gharote of the court's Nagpur bench also said that considering the rising number of coronavirus cases, testing facilities should be set up in these government hospitals in Vidarbha region.

The bench was hearing a petition filed by Jairam Zanwar over the issue.

The judges issued a notice to the secretary of the state health department and the hospitals seeking their response, and posted the matter for further hearing on March 23.

Citing a newspaper report, the court said some of the patients had admitted themselves to quarantine as a precautionary measure, but they are not able to continue their office work as no Internet is available at the hospitals.

In the past several directions were given over the issue of inadequate staff and paucity of funds for upgrading facilities at these hospitals, but the present situation requires a special response from the state machinery, it said.

"The latest situation is of rise in number of patients afflicted with COVID-19 in Vidarbha region," the court said.

"Newspaper reports indicate that some patients fled from the isolation wards because of lack of proper facilities and conditions where the patients (could) feel secure," the court said.

It also said that considering the sharp rise in the number of coronavirus cases across the world, the authorities should create additional Viral Research Diagnostics Laboratories (VRDLs) at these government hospitals.

Nagpur district has reported at least four confirmed cases of coronavirus so far.