Supreme Court seeks Centre’s response in PIL seeking availability of WHO- graded protective gear for Medical Professionals
This news is put together by Vishakha Pandey, Lawyer & Sub-editor at Droit Penale.
The Hon’ble Supreme Court has sought
centre’s response regarding the PIL filed by a medical professional, Dr. Jerry Banait, praying for
directions to be given to the centre to provide the protective gear(PPE), graded by WHO, to all the medical health
professionals and workers who actively treat and attend to COVID-19 patients.
The protective
gear sought for includes Hazmat (Hazardous material) suits, Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE) including sterile medical/Nitrile gloves, starch apparel,
medical masks, goggles, face shield, respirators, shoe covers, head covers and
coveralls/gowns.[1]
The petition filed
under the case name of Jerryl Banait vs UOI petition (PPE kits for medical health
professionals), plead for following essentials
for the medical health professionals and workers:-
·
The plea claimed that due to
lack of essential protective gears, medical health professionals and workers
risking their life in order to treat COVID-19 patients. In treating the
patients there is slight high chance that they caught into it. Hence, it said
that it is the duty of state to ensure that they get all required kit while
treating the patients not only in metro cities but also in tier 2 and 3 cities
to health workers.
·
The plea has also sought a
direction to the states to establish COVID-19 special screening centers in
smaller towns and other cities and to take immediate steps to contain this
deadly virus.
·
The plea has also sought a
direction to the authorities to take necessary steps to ensure adherence
guidelines issued by the WHO and the guidelines for Infection Prevention and Control in Healthcare Facilities issued by
health ministry (MoHFW) or rational use of PPE.
·
The petition further pleads for
proper food and accommodation to doctors and other Para- medical staffs to
protect exposure of their families.
·
It pleads to issue guidelines
regarding tests through private agencies or labs, including regulated pricing
manner of testing.
·
The plea further added that any
health professional or worker be infected by the novel coronavirus, there may
be exponential rise in mortality rate, and the situation may get out of
control.
The
bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and
MR Shah, said in its order to list
the writ until next hearing and seek to examine the plea and place before the
court the Centre’s stand with regard to PIL.
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