Kriti Agrawal
Shobha Gupta, a Supreme Court Advocate, has written to the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and the Supreme Court Advocates on Record Association (SCAORA), recommending that the new SC lawyers chamber at Appu Ghar, which is currently vacant, be offered to the concerned government (Centre or State) for use as a COVID treatment center.
She has written in the letter that, “The situation is extremely worrying and terrifying. The least we can do is to give for society whatever little we can within our capacity. It is a hard reality that there is acute shortage of beds in the City. Sir(s), as you (both) are aware, we have a huge building meant for lawyer’s chambers lying vacant. Fortunately, there are no furniture as the chambers are yet to be occupied by the bar members.
“I would request you to please discuss with the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India and the Hon’ble Judges of the Chamber Committee to work out the possibility to offer our new lawyers chamber building at Appu Ghar, New Delhi, temporarily for few months to the concerned govt. (be it State or Central) to be used for bed facility and ICU facility and as well as to house the doctors attending Covid patients. We as a bar of the highest court of the country shall lead from the front. We luckily have a completely vacant building which certainly can be used to save many lives.”
She also recommended an online help desk, where members of the SCBA and SCAORA, as well as other members of the bar, could take care of the information and coordination center in small groups and changes, collecting data and developing links with different hospitals, medical shops, oxygen and medication suppliers, police, and the SDM Office, among other things.
She further wrote, “We can request the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India or the Hon’ble Judge incharge of the SC dispensary or Medical Facilities Committee for their cooperation. This would help our members to get the necessary and timely help on one phone call in place of we all make calls after calls to coordinate and find solution. The team shall be available on call, WhatsApp, email, etc. We shall simultaneously put all the information updated from time to time on a dedicated portal or link on our regular website.”