Covid-19 patients treated worse than animals, bodies found in garbage: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Friday took a powerful view of the therapy meted out to Covid-19 sufferers and lifeless our bodies in authorities hospitals throughout the nation, describing the scenario as deplorable and worse than what animals must endure.

Taking cognisance of media studies, a three-judge bench sought detailed standing studies from 4 states – Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal – relating to the circumstances in hospitals.

“Covid-19 patients are treated worse than animals. In one case, a dead body was found in garbage,” the bench headed by justice Ashok Bhushan remarked.

The state of Delhi got here in for heavy criticism from the bench, with the courtroom stating the circumstances in hospitals as nicely the diminished testing for Covid-19. The prime courtroom additionally famous that sufferers are working from pillar to put up to get themselves admitted although numerous beds in authorities hospitals are mendacity vacant.

Taking observe of a media report, the courtroom highlighted how lifeless our bodies of Covid-19 sufferers had been mendacity unattended within the foyer and ready space of Delhi’s Lok Nayak Jai Prakash hospital.

Reminding states, the highest courtroom stated that governments are responsibility certain to make sure sufficient infrastructure in hospitals and in addition that Covid-19 sufferers are attended to by well being employees.

Former union regulation minister and senior counsel Ashwini Kumar had written to the CJI on June eight highlighting the undesirable method during which Covid-19 sufferers and lifeless our bodies of Covid victims had been being dealt with in varied elements of the nation.

Kumar identified a information report of a Covid-19 affected person being chained to a mattress in a hospital in Madhya Pradesh. He additionally drew the eye of the CJI to an incident from Puducherry the place a lifeless physique was thrown right into a pit for burial.

Right to die with dignity is a elementary proper and it consists of the fitting to an honest burial/ cremation, Kumar had stated in his letter.

This can be the third case which the highest courtroom can be listening to suo motu in relation to points stemming out of Covid-19 and the lockdown.

The identical three-judge bench, headed by justice Ashok Bhushan, is listening to the case relating to the plight of migrant employees because of the Covid-19 lockdown and had handed orders to facilitate their return to their residence states after 1000’s of them went out of labor because of the lockdown imposed by the central and state governments.

The bench on June 9 ordered that the central and state governments ought to make sure the return of all migrant employees to their residence states inside 15 days and in addition requested the governments to provide you with welfare schemes and job alternatives to alleviate their sufferings.