Queency Jain
A vacation bench of Justice SC Gupte and Justice MS Sonak recently heard a clutch of PILs about Covid management in the state of Goa thereby dealing with issues of use of Ivermectin, oxygen supply in the state, vaccines and detection & treatment of Mucormycosis.
The issue raised by the petitioner was in regard to the prophylactic use of Ivermectin, objecting the government’s prescription of Ivermectin even to healthy patients who do not have Covid symptoms.
The Government argued that the medicine is approved by the expert committee of the state and only suspected & symptomatic patients were given the medicine.
The Court held that while no such promotion of prophylactic use of medicines seems to happen as of now, the petitioners are open to raise appropriate objections for its usage in future which will be duly dealt with by the same court.
The State submitted that there was an adequate supply of oxygen and no hospital is facing any shortage where 46 metric tonnes are being allotted by the Central Government and 15 metric tonnes is generated by 4 units of the state on daily basis making up the requirement of 55 metric tonnes.
The State further submitted that they are in the process of installing PSA Plants sanctioned by the Central Government at various sites in the state.
The State in regards to vaccines submitted that they are in the process of carrying on a sustained campaign to educate people from the age group of 45+ to come forward for vaccination.
Further State submitted that tenders are being issued for procuring doses from private companies, to which, the Court directed state to indicate number of doses procured as well as the timeline for procuring vaccines in a concrete manner.
The Court, while directing the state to give an update of the stock of medicines received from the Union for Mucormycosis treatment, noted that the State had come up with an adequate response and had already placed on record the protocol set up for detection and treatment of the disease.
The Court directed the State, “Carry out an electrical audit of equipment used by Covid Hospitals and Covid Care Centres in accordance with the available standard protocol, whilst carrying out fire audit in compliance of the directions of the Supreme Court on this behalf.”
In conclusion, the Court directed State to keep a checklist from each village panchayat in the State towards its community preparedness of COVID-19 response in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedure on Covid-19 in Containment and Management as issued by Government of India, Ministry of Health and family Welfare on 16 May 2021.
