Why are you hiding Covid data from citizens, HC questions govt

Why are you hiding Covid data from citizens, HC questions govt

Seeks New Report On T’s Efforts, Tests

SagarKumar.Mutha@timesgroup.com

Hyderabad:09.06.2020

Pulling up health officials for hiding vital information from citizens with regard to Covid-19 spread and related issues, the Telangana high court on Monday directed the government to pack its media bulletins with more info on patients, including details like age, gender etc. The court also rejected the public health director’s report and sought a fresh report with details of tests, facilities and the state’s efforts.

A bench of Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy gave this interim direction while hearing a PIL filed by Amrita Aryendra, urging the court to direct the state to give more details to the public on the current Covid-19 situation in the state. After a barrage of questions, public health and family welfare director Dr G Srinivas Rao admitted that the health bulletin format was changed to make it simple. “We will issue a new format will all details from now onwards,” he assured the court.

Qazi Salar Masood Aatif, the counsel for the petitioner, requested the court to direct the stated to include tests conducted on the asymptomatic too in the bulletin. The bench agreed and said the information was very important because it defines the path of the pandemic and alerts people to be cautious. It cannot be hidden from public view, the judges said. The bench turned critical towards the state and its health director for suppressing vital information.

Reading out from a media bulletin issued by the director on June 2, the judges said as per the bulletin there were only seven Covid-19 positive cases in Rangareddy district. “But, your report (of June 2) furnished to us says that Pahadisharif area has 32 cases and Aziznagar 5 on the same day and these two areas fall under Rangareddy district. Since your bulletin says that there are only seven cases in Rangareddy district, people in that district and even from Pahadisharif would feel that coronavirus has weakened and would start ignoring the safety norms. This may lead to a spurt in the number of cases,” the bench said, driving home the importance of taking people into confidence at every stage. “By hiding this information from public view, we are only becoming accomplices in the spread,” they warned.

“The details of the number of patients area wise, containment zones, test results etc., need to be disseminated to the people. All shops, establishements, malls have been opened from today. Except theatres, all are open. This is the time the state should ask people to be cautious. There should be an unlocking strategy too. Otherwise, we may have to revert to the lockdown stage again,” the bench said. The judges also verified the bed strength in hospitals, ventilators, etc.

Dr Srinivas Rao assured the court that the state has indeed geared up its infrastructure in these areas and there was no need to worry. The state’s health minister has been regularly reviewing and he was also visiting Gandhi Hospital regularly. “We asked him to restrain his visits,” he said.

To a query on when was the last time the minister visited Gandhi Hospital, the Covid nodal hospital, Dr Rao said it was three weeks ago. The bench rejected his report and directed him to furnish a fresh report with details of tests, facilities and results of the state’s efforts.

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT

Will Aarogyasri cover Covid, HC asks T

Hyderabad:

The high court has asked Telangana government if it would bring the coronavirus cases under the ambit of Aarogyasri health insurance scheme. The court also set June 16 deadline for the government to inform it about the feasibility of providing Covid-19 treatment under Aarogyasri.

A bench of Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy was hearing a PIL filed by advocate P Thirumala Rao, who urged HC to ensure that both Covid tests and treatment are made available to people for free. He explained that the Centre had brought Covid-19 under Ayushman Bharat in its latest circular. Advocate general BS Prasad informed the bench that government is yet to bring Covid-19 under Aarogyasri’s ambit. TNN