Coronavirus: Supreme Court seeks Centre's response in PIL seeking availability of WHO-graded protective gear for medical professionals

The Supreme Court today sought the Centre's response in a plea seeking to ensure the availability of World Health Organization (WHO) graded protective gear for all medical professionals and health workers actively attending to COVID-19 patients..The Bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and MR Shah today took up the matter for hearing via video conference. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, urged the Court not to issue notice in the plea. Mehta said that the government has already taken cognizance of the issue and was taking steps in this regard..The Court has sought a response from the Centre by next week, when the Bench will assemble again..The petition filed by a practising medical professional, Dr. Jerryl Banait, prays for directions to the Centre to ensure that protective gear graded by the WHO should be made available to all medical health professionals and workers who actively treat and attend to COVID-19 patients. .The protective gear sought for includes Hazmat (Hazardous material) suits, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including sterile medical/Nitrile gloves, starch apparel, medical masks, goggles, face shield, respirators, shoe covers, head covers and coveralls/gowns. .The petition adds that the availability of the same should be ensured not just in metro cities but also in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities..Additionally, the petition has also sought directions to the Centre to take steps to ensure that the Guidelines for Infection Prevention and Control in Healthcare Facilities issued by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) are implemented effectively. Strict adherence to the guidelines issued by the WHO and the MoHFW on rational use of the PPE kits is also called for..Moreover directions have also been sought for implementing immediate measures for wide-scale screening and testing of potential COVID-19 patients. .In this regard, it is urged that the Government be directed to set up COVID-19 special screening centres in smaller towns and other cities as well. Further that the Government be directed to issue guidelines regarding tests through private agencies/ labs including regulated pricing and the manner of testing..The plea says that the doctors and health workers who tend to COVID-19 patients put themselves at risk of contracting the virus, spread of which has been declared as a global pandemic by the WHO. It is the duty of the government to ensure that the medical health professionals are thus given graded protective gear to prevent them from being infected, the petition states.."As there is no specific vaccination to prevent or cure COVID19, it is imperative for doctors to be in constant contact with patients, so as to monitor them on regular intervals, and observe their symptoms. In the absence of appropriate protective gear, doctors put themselves at the risk of being affected by the virus in the discharge of their duties."Petition filed before Supreme Court.It is further added that should any health professional or worker be infected by the novel Coronavirus, there may be an exponential rise in the mortality rate, and the situation may spiral out of control. The petition therefore submits,."The need of the hour, therefore is to ensure that the respective State Governments take immediate actions to provide adequate protective gear to the medical professionals, not only in the Metro Cities, but also in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.".The petition has been filed through Advocates Astha Sharma and Prastut Dalvi. The petitioner is represented by Advocate Sunil Fernandes..[Read the Petition].[Read Order]