Supreme Court stays Allahabad HC order on medical system in UP
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to pass a general order allowing only chief justices of high courts to hear public interest litigations (PIL) related to Covid-19 management on the ground that such a direction will “demoralise” high courts.
At the same time, the apex court advised the high courts not to pass orders which are incapable of being implemented and stayed a May 17 order passed by the Allahabad high court, which had passed a slew of time-bound directions to improve the medical infrastructure in the state in the wake of a surge of Covid-19 cases. This was the same order where the high court had remarked about the entire medical system in the smaller cities and villages of Uttar Pradesh being “Ram bharose” (left to the mercy of God).
The UP government represented by solicitor general Tus
“Unprecedented pressure on the health system posed a major challenge before us. But the medical infrastructure that came up in Kashi during the last seven years helped us a lot in handling the situation that emerged due to second wave of Covid-19,” he said.
He lauded DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) for setting up a 750-bed makeshift hospital at the Banaras Hindu University amphitheatre ground and health officials for making it functional quickly.
He also praised efforts made to increase oxygen supply, set up oxygen plants in Varanasi, arrange oxygen concentrators for Varanasi and adjoining districts, and increase the number of beds in hospitals.
Thanking the Varanasi traders for voluntarily keeping their shops closed to break the chain of the Covid-19 infection, he said joint efforts helped handle the situation to some extent.
“We have to keep the preparations going even though Covid infection cases have decreased,” he said.
He expressed satisfaction over the way public representatives worked during Covid-19, adding that it was their natural duty to help the people.
Wishing good health for all, he said Kashi will win the fight against Covid-19 with the “blessings of Baba Kashi Vishwanath.”
He also hit out at people who criticised yoga when observance of the International Yoga Day started in June 2015.
“After International Yoga Day received approval from the whole world through UN, when we started celebrating International Yoga Day on June 21 (2015), initially it was criticised by some people. It was mocked. Some people made fun of it. Some event painted it in communal colours. But today, the importance of yoga is becoming popular in fighting Covid-19 at the international level.”