Man runs from pillar to post for +ve mother’s treatment

HC responds to viral video, asks Centre, state to act

Taking note of a video clipping on social media of a man who had to run from pillar to post to get his mother hospitalised after testing positive for Covid-19, the Delhi high court has directed the Centre and the AAP government to place before it arrangements made to deal with such patients. Observing that the video “raises serious issues of public concern in the present day context”, a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rajnish Bhatnagar issued several directions, including making effective the helplines for reporting coronavirus cases, assessing their adequacy to deal with the increasing call traffic and providing ambulance facility to pick up patients.

It directed the two governments to place before it the status of functional and responsive helpline numbers being operated by them. It also appointed an amicus curiae to look into the grievances raised in the video clipping. “The amicus curiae shall also call the helpline numbers and report with regard to their effectiveness in providing help to the callers,” the bench said.

The court, which took suo motu cognisance of the clipping, also directed the Delhi government and the Centre to respond to the grievances narrated by the man — Dharmendra Bhardwaj — who has alleged in the video that “tall claims” of both the governments regarding arrangements for Covid-19 patients “are far from true on the ground”. He said his mother was admitted in a private hospital on May 19 and she tested positive for Covid-19 on May 21.

Thereafter, the private hospital asked him to arrange for a ventilator and bed in some other hospital, he has claimed and added that he went to several hospitals, but to no avail. Even the helpline numbers publicised by the Delhi government and the Centre were non-responsive, Bhardwaj has alleged in the video which has been taken on record by the high court.

The bench observed that a person, who or whose family or friend is found Covid-19 positive, should be able to call the helplines to not only report such occurrence, but to also seek guidance and assistance.