Kriti Agrawal –
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court consisting of the Division Bench of Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice Vinod Chatterji Koul hoped that the government of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir would prepare itself in advance to face a possible third wave.
The bench further hoped that they would leave no stone unturned in vaccinating every citizen as soon as possible by conducting a new institution-wise drive.
The Court directed that the Government should ensure the establishment of oxygen generation units in all Government and affiliated hospitals, as well as any other place deemed appropriate and proper, after hearing a Suo-Motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
At the same time, interim arrangements put in place may not be totally destroyed and may be maintained in place for future use.
“The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued covid-19 guidelines on dead body management, which provide for standard precautions to be followed by health care workers while handling dead bodies of covid patients; the manner of removal of the dead body from the isolator,” the Court said, referring to a Miscellaneous Application filed by Balvinder Singh through Advocate Dinesh Singh Chauhan.
Advocate General DC Raina, supported by AAG Aseem Sawhney, filed an affidavit of Atal Dulloo, Financial Commissioner, Health & Medical Education Department, detailing the government’s response to the covid-19 pandemic in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, as directed by the Court.
Further the Court stated, “The affidavit is fairly extensive and takes care to notify the Court about all procedures that the Government has made to deal with the covid situation.”