HC orders state gov to comply with all ICMR, WHO guidelines; demands authenticity of Rapid Antigen Test kits
By Newsmeter Network Published on 28 July 2020 2:16 PM GMT
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court, on Tuesday, 28th July, summoned the Chief Secretary of the state to enquire about the ways in which the TS government is dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. It directed the government to follow all the guidelines specified by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
While directing that the health bulletin should be released on time, Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan also said that print and electronic media should be provided with every bit of information related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar informed the bench that the government has created isolation facilities with 857 rooms, of which 248 are occupied. To this, the bench responded that function halls, community centres, and welfare centres should be used as isolation spaces for the poor.
Providing a report on the status of Rapid Antigen Test kits in the state, the Chief Secretary said that while they have 2,00,000 kits, they have ordered 4,00,000 more. He also informed the court that RAT results have a 40% reliability.
Citing the example of Rajasthan government which has stopped using RAT kits, the bench directed the state government to inquire expert opinion and submit a report.
The Chief Secretary was also directed to instruct private hospitals about over-charging for MRI and CT scans. Upon being questioned, the former informed that 746 complaints have been received by the government till now against high treatment fees in private hospitals.
He also informed the bench that the government is undertaking all the required measures to ensure the containment of COVID-19. They will also be setting up information boards outside the hospital soon.
The High Court directed the state government to submit a full-fledged report about the same on 13th August, the next scheduled hearing.
Chief Secretary also informed the Telangana High Court, which is presently hearing a batch of PIL pleas on COVID19, that state government has started an app called Home Isolation Telemedicine and Monitoring. Through this app, doctors will prescribe medicines for Coronavirus patients by sending messages. For this 170 private doctors have already been enrolled.
The app on a pilot project basis has begun working. Each doctor is allotted 50 to 70 patients. This doctor will act as a family doctor for the patients assigned to them. Individuals would be at their respective homes and receive prescriptions and other advice through messages.
