Ex-Chief Minister of Karnataka, HD Kumaraswamy could not secure a bed at Manipal Hospital, Bangalore after he tested positive for COVID-19, the Karnataka High Court was informed on Saturday.

The submission was made by advocate Clifton D Rozario while highlighting that there is severe dearth of beds for COVID-19 patients in the State.

A tweet in this regard is going viral, Rozario added.

“When privileged people cannot get beds, one can only imagine the plight of poorer sections of the society…"

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Aravind Kumar, noted the argument and said in its order that no COVID-19 patient who is medically advised to be quarantined in hospital should be deprived of the facility.

“It is the duty of state government to ensure that no COVID-19 patient, who is medically advised to be in institutional or hospital quarantine is deprived of that facility. If some of the patients who do not require hospitalisation, are admitted in hospital, then State has to consider whether norms can be laid down governing admission of COVID-19 patients to hospitals,” the Court said.

It was hearing a case registered suo motu after receiving two letter highlighting various difficulties faced by COVID positive patients in the State.

During the hearing, it was also claimed that results of RT-PCR tests are not being provided within 48 hours.

On this issue, the Court directed that the government should ensure that results are provided within 24 hours.

“Non-availability of results will have drastic consequences. State Government to consider issuing directions to Labs to provide test results at the earliest and not later than 24 hours,” the order said.

The Court further directed that the person has to be informed that he/she should be in-home quarantine till his/her test results are available. They must also be told of the importance of home quarantine, added the Bench.

Noting the drastic surge in COVID-19 patients in the city, the Court also urged the State government to conduct an awareness campaign in order to curb the spread of the virus.

The State should also consider appointing a High Powered Committee so that citizens may place their COVID-19 related grievances before them, the Court suggested.