[Coronavirus] Orissa HC directs Government to engage specialist doctors, provide Personal Protective Equipment to doctors treating COVID-19

The Orissa High Court on Monday issued certain directions to the State with respect to the provision of medical care to treat those affected by the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)..Inter alia, the Bench of Acting Chief Justice Sanju Panda and Justice B Rath has also directed the Government to provide doctors in all hospitals with Personal Protection Equipments (PPE) for their safety when treating patients afflicted by COVID-19..The Court was dealing with a case involving concerns of availability of adequate medical care in Hospitals, both Government and private, in Odisha..During the course of hearing, the Court has also opined that:Specialist and experienced doctors need to be available in both Government and private hospitals to promptly attend patients reaching hospitals. Therefore, and order has been passed that the Health Secretary, other Government officers and Committees issue a direction to Government and private hospitals from which the Government is taking medical help to ensure the availability of specialised DoctorsLeave to such doctors should be curtailed to cases of extreme urgency.The Police Department should be directed to ensure that patients and attendants of patients should not be unnecessarily detained on their way to the hospital..Further, it has also been ordered that the Government should ensure that no patient is turned away without getting appropriate medical care..Last Sunday, the same Bench had directed the Government to ensure that migrant workers in the State are being taken care of, amidst concerns that the stranded workers are facing difficulties during the national lockdown in place to curb the spread of the Coronavirus..[Read the Order]