PANJIM: The State government on Thursday was dealt a major blow with the High Court of Bombay at Goa directing the State to ensure passengers entering Goa carry a COVID-19 negative certificate with effect from May 10.
The negative RT-PCR certificate should not be older than 72 hours, the bench said. The directions were passed based on a bunch of petitions seeking the high court’s intervention regarding the COVID-19 crisis across Goa.
The court has also sought from the government real time data on the availability of COVID-19 beds, type of beds, oxygen, ICU and ventilators, among other emergency requirement to treat COVID-19 patients across hospitals.
The court further directed the State government to provide sufficient police protection around COVID-19 government hospitals and wards. The authorities are to ensure that boards and posters are put up informing the public that there will be zero tolerance towards any form of violence against medical personnel and it will be dealt with an iron hand.
In addition to these directions, the high court has asked the Central Government to place on record if any patient admission policy has been formulated as per the direction of the Supreme Court whereas the State government is directed to submit an affidavit giving details in respect of purchase of 200 ventilators which it assured to purchase in an affidavit filed before the High Court, a year ago, in March 2020.
A writ petition filed by the South Goa Advocate Association and another two by groups consisting of citizens, filed with the High Court earlier during this week had prayed for directions to be issued to the government to take immediate steps to ensure that all COVID-19 patients have beds for essential treatment, ambulance services, ventilators, and all other essential healthcare items.
The petitioners also sought for arrangement of continuous uninterrupted supply of oxygen to COVID-19 hospitals in Goa, augmentation of COVID-19 treatment facilities including ICUs, beds, ventilators, adequate supply of home isolation kits at the various health centres, setting up of dedicated help desks and helpline numbers in COVID-19 treatment centres and hospitals to assist the families of the patients, etc.
Goa Forward Party moved a separate plea before the Court on similar lines while also urging directions to the State to impose a 15-day lockdown.
Further, in its order, the high court directed the State government to indicate the status of the vaccination drive in respect of age group of 18 to 45 and to submit an affidavit to indicate whether any thought process has gone in respect of a lockdown considering that the situation is out of control.
Besides, the government has been directed to file an affidavit in respect of the testing facilities in the State; availability of essential medicines and steps taken to augment the same as patients succumbing for want of medicines. So also the State should indicate in its affidavit whether facility for buffer stock of oxygen is in place as directed by the Supreme Court.
About the delay in test reports, the State has been directed to make COVID-19 test results available at the earliest.