COVID19- Issue Advisory To Local Bodies To Sanitise, Spray Disinfectant; Prepare ESI Hospitals To Treat COVID Patients: Madras High Court

The First matter before the Bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy pertained to corporations, municipal bodies, and panchayats all over the State using disinfectants as a spray to keep the airborne virus in check.

In the Second matter before the Court, the petitioner sought to convert all ESI hospitals, railway hospitals, port hospitals, and the like in the State into COVID units. 

Court's directions

Regarding the usage of disinfectants, the Advocate-General said that the World Health Organisation Guidelines as to the use of the material was being followed in the State.

To this, the Court said,

"Since this is also a preventive measure which is suggested by the petitioner, the State should ensure to sanitize and spray disinfectants, to the extent possible and within the existing constraints, to ensure that the airborne virus is kept at somewhat of a check. An advisory in such regard may be issued to all local bodies so that villages and small towns may yet be saved from the large scale attacks as seen in the urban areas."

Now, this matter will appear along with other Covid related matters on 17.05.2021 at 2.15 pm.

Regarding the second matte, the Court asked the Additional Solicitor-General to look into the possibility of ESI hospitals and units all over the State being equipped with facilities to tackle Covid patients as expeditiously as possible.

As far as the railway and port hospitals were concerned, the Court noted that since these are meant exclusively for railway and port employees, and both railways and the port authorities continue to function, "these may not be appropriated for general use at the moment".

The request was thus restricted to ESI hospitals and Union has been asked to ascertain ass whether ESI units all over, particularly in the State, can be immediately equipped to take up general COVID patients.

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