The Delhi State Disaster Management Committee which is headed by Lieutenant Governor, Anil Baijal, has held a big party meeting on Thursday at 3 pm to review all measures taken, best and worst-case scenarios, hospital infrastructure facilities and containment measures to counter the pandemic.
This is after the situation when Anil Baijal overruled two very sensitive rule declared by the CM of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal. CM of Delhi has ordered the government on reserving Delhi government-run and private hospitals in the national capital for only Delhiites, which meant that only people who belong from Delhi are allowed to check up and the patients who are having signs of COVID-19.
On to the contrast Baijal conveyed that no patients should be refused to get treated on the grounds of being a non- resident of Delhi.
Countermanding Kejriwal’s order, LG quoted a Delhi high court ruling and said: “The Delhi High Court in a writ petition ‘Social Jurist, a Civil Rights Group versus GNCTD and Another’ after examining constitutional provisions in details, especially Article 14 and 21, after looking at jurisprudence in this regard, has held that denying patients medical treatment on the ground of not being resident of NCT of Delhi is impermissible.”
Anil Baijal also mentioned that the Supreme Court has invariably held in several successive judgments that ‘Right to Health’ is an integral part of ‘Right to Life’ under Article 21 of the Constitution. “In exercise of powers conferred under Section 18(3) of the Disaster Management Act, the undersigned in his capacity as the Chairperson of the DDMA hereby directs all departments and authorities concerned of NCT of Delhi, to ensure that monitoring/treatment is not denied to any patient on the ground of not being a resident of NCT of Delhi,” the order said.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday proposed that for now private hospitals of Delhi will be available only for the residents of the city. Simultaneously, he clarified that hospitals which are run by the Centre will have no such limitation, and if people from other states come to the national capital for specific surgeries, they can get medical treatment at private hospitals.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia informed about the meeting, on Monday, of State Disaster Management Authority to be held today on the Coronavirus situation and to discuss whether there is a community spread in Delhi.
News agency like India today has also tweeted about the same. ANI has tweeted “Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and state health minister Satyendar Jain reach the residence of Delhi LG anil Baijal for state disaster management authority meeting on #COVID19 situation and to discuss whether there is community spread.
