Telangana High Court summons Director of Public Health to appear

Hyderabad: On Tuesday Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, during the course of adjudication of a batch of PILs and writ petitions on Covid observed that people who are violating the guidelines are not being penalised.

He directed the State police and the GHMC to ensure that the violators are penalised for not wearing masks and not maintaining social distancing, as per GOs issued by the State government. He also directed Dr G. Srinivas Rao, Director, Public Health and Family Welfare, and an expert of the Health department, to appear before the court on January 28.

"I don't see the police or the GHMC checking people violating Covid-19 norms. It is very unfortunate... there should be strict checking on violators and fine should be imposed on them as per instructions issued by the State government", observed the CJ.

K Pawan Kumar, counsel for PILs and petitioners, informed the court that though the Telangana government, in its latest status report dated January 22 says that they have taken up a door-to-door fever study between January 21 and 23 and found 170,000 persons affected with fever symptoms; 178,000 fever kits were distributed but these fever kits cannot be used by children.Ravichander, senior counsel for petitioners, said people in weekly vegetable markets have forgotten to maintain social distancing nor they are wearing masks, leading to rampant spread of Covid. He vehemently informed the court that the government is under-reporting Covid cases.

The CJ directed the State government to ensure that the police and the GHMC act strictly against the violators of the Covid guidelines and adjourned the hearing to January 28.

The CJ bench directed Dr Srinivas Rao to come prepared on the next date of hearing on the steps taken by the government in extending medical aid to children during the pandemic, as "Nilofer Hospital" in Hyderabad is the only designated hospital to extend medical aid to children, in case of infection.

Advocate-General Banda Shivananda Prasad told the court that the State was taking all steps to contain further spread of Covid.