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The Division Bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta & Justice GS Kulkarni while hearing a batch of pleas concerning treatment of patients infected by CoVID in the state on Wednesday, has directed the State Government to devise a protocol to prevent the spread of CoVID 19 in rural areas. 

The directions were issued in light of the report presented on India Today showcasing the sad state of affairs in the hospitals in Palghar district in Maharashtra. 

“What we saw was shocking. No beds, no facilities. Patients were dying on the floor.We now want the collectors to focus on the rural areas also. You should have some protocol, some SOP. This program was an eye opener. Palghar is so close by. If the situation is not being catered to. We will have to stop the infection at the threshold so that it does not spread. Your priorities should be villagers should not be affected at all.”, the Court said.

Lauding the efforts taken by the authorities in a village situated in Gujarat which has not reported a single case of CoVID in the past 3 months, the Bench directed the State to adopt the model resorted by the authorities & observed that, “Everything can be achieved if there is a will of people & stakeholders.”

Counsel for petitioner Mr Rajesh Inamdar apprised the Court with respect to supply of remdesivir by politicians & celebrities to all people asking for help from them on Twitter. Citing certain incidents wherein people thanked celebrities & politicians after receiving help from them, Inamdar contended that people were questioning the Govt for shortage of supply of essential drugs & that such supply by private individuals was discriminatory & arbitrary.

“People are struggling. They are unable to procure the same from the channel provided by the State Government. I am not saying this should stop but the same can be with the assistance of Govt.”, Inamdar added.

The Bench while taking serious note of the issue remarked that the Court was bringing all these issues to the Counsel’s notice so that the State could accordingly take corrective steps in this regard. 

“We are bringing to your notice so that the same can be corrected. We are here to do justice according to law & not justice according with law. Why should the film stars & politicians not be appointed as Nodal Officers. If they are helping people, let them help. Whether this would amount to illegal stocking, hoarding? This is only one incident. There are many more.”, the Court added.

The Court also expressed its displeasure in the manner the Counsel for B Panel State Mr Akshay Shinde misunderstood the Court’s previous order which was passed by taking note of the price at which foriegn drugs namely Remdesivir & Tocilizumab were available & suggested for giving importance to country-made medicines like dexamethasone, Itolizumab and methylprednisolone. 

“We consider it imperative to record that country-made medicines like dexamethasone, Itolizumab and methylprednisolone ought to be given the importance they deserve in the Indian context. If alternative local medicines capable of being administered to critically ill COVID-19 patients are available at cheaper rates then the use of such drugs needs to be encouraged in preference to foreign drugs, of which, as it is there is scarcity and which are beyond the reach of the common man. We hope and trust that the GoI and the State would take note of the caution that we have sounded above and encourage the medical sector to prescribe Itolizumab, dexamethasone and methylprednisolone for being administered to the critically ill COVID-19 patients.”, the Court observed in its order dated May 6, 2021.

The Court has also asked the Maharashtra Government to file an affidavit with respect to the steps that it is taking to prevent the spread of CoVID 19 amongst children.

As experts had cautioned the nation to brace for the third wave of the pandemic, in which children might be most vulnerable, the authorities must take pre-emptive steps and strengthen health infrastructure in the state, the court said.  

"Children will be accompanied by their mothers or other caregivers. Make separate arrangements for their mothers and caregivers to. File a reply on what is being done," the court also said.