Shortage Of Injections For Black Fungus, High Cost Of Treatment To Be Seriously Considered By State: Gujarat HC

Background Facts

The Gujarat High Court while taking the suo-moto action in lack of availability of RT¬PCR facilities and other infrastructural facilities in this second wave of the COVID Pandemic that is spreading fast in a rural area.

Directions by Court

The bench headed by Justice Bela Trivedi and Justice Bhargav D Trivedi

The court directed Central Government to place on record information about the vaccination policy adopted by it regarding the public at large.

It also took serious note of the new challenge faced by the State concerning the rapid increase of the cases of flesh-eating Black Fungal infection called Mucormycosis.

The Court also observed that there was nothing on data that suggests the future course of action that either the State or the Central Government would follow for the getting of the adequate quota of ‘Remdesivir’ injections.

The central government also did not place on record the policy decision relating to the distribution of the ‘Remdesivir’ injections to the States. The court called upon the State Government to cater details of the following on oath, on the next date of hearing:

1. How far the Community Health Centers and Primary Health Centers (PHCs) constituting the backbone of the State’s rural health infrastructure furnished with the facilities to treat the COVID¬19 patients?
2. What are the mechanism that the government is providing to PHCs and CHCs and other healthcare centers in the Districts and the Talukas for providing the RT¬PCR test kits, necessary medicines, ‘Remdesivir’ Injections, Oxygen supply, etc?
3. Whether there is the availability of doctors and trained nursing staff to carry out the RT¬PCR tests, administer the ‘Remdesivir’ injections and the oxygen, etc.?
4. If your answer is negative, what course of action planned in the above said regard? How many devoted COVID Health Centers, COVID Care Centers and hospitals have been set up at the District and Taluka level?
5. Specifically providing the details of each District and Taluka. How many persons have been fully vaccinated and how many have been partially vaccinated in each of the categories i.e., above 60 years, between 45¬60 years, and between 18¬44 years?
6. What is the predictable requirement of the vaccines for vaccinating all categories of people fully and what is the road¬map for accomplishing the said estimate?
7. Whether they have made any sort of special provision for vaccinating the staff members and inmates working at the special homes like lunatic asylums, Nari SamrakshanGruh, juvenile homes, old age homes remand homes, correction homes, orphanages, etc.?

The court further asked the Government about the preparedness of the Health Department to combat the Mucormycosis disease. If any policy has been framed regarding the procurement and the distribution of the medicines and injections used to treat the Mucormycosis patients in private hospitals.

What is your take on such directions and observation made by the High Court? Tell us in the comments below.