GUJARAT GOVT FACES HC HEAT OVER COVID-19 HOSPITAL BLAZE

The Gujarat high court on Tuesday criticised the state government over the recent fire at a Covid-19 hospital in Bharuch, saying it was contemptuous on its part to not remain vigilant and avoid such incidents, and cited many orders passed in this regard in the past.

A division bench expressed surprise over advocate general Kamal Trivedi’s submission that the Covid-19 facility at the trustrun Bharuch Welfare Hospital, where the fire on May 1 killed 18 people, was set up “surreptitiously, without intimating the authorities”. Sixteen Covid-19 patients and two nurses were killed in the blaze.

The bench of Justices Bela Trivedi and Justice Bhargav D Karia said that “somebody has to be made accountable” for the deadly fire.

The bench was hearing a petition filed by advocate Amit Panchal seeking a direction to hold government officials accountable and punish them for failing to comply with the court’s previous directions related to fire incidents in Covid-19 hospitals.

“The anxiety of the court is what are you supposed to do to prevent such incidents in the coming days... Ultimately, what are the measures that you are going to take?” the court asked.

The bench also issued notices to the Bharuch municipality, the trust which runs the hospital, its nodal officer for fire safety and the government, and kept the matter for hearing after two weeks.