PANAJI
The Bombay High Court at Goa has asked the Goa government as well as the Union Government to file a comprehensive affidavit eliciting the steps the government is taking on a host of issues concerning the Covid management in the State including its plans for vaccination, the treatment protocols for black fungus infection as well as the administering Ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug, as a prophylaxis (preventive) treatment for Covid.
Hearing a bunch of petitions filed by well-meaning citizens led by the South Goa Advocates Association as well as others who have recently joined the case as petitioners in public interest, the Bench of Justices S C Gupte and M S Sonak directed the Advocate General to “communicate its response to these additional issues in their proposed affidavit.”
“The issues particularly concern setting up of oxygen generation plants in Goa and post Covid health complications which are noticed during the course of this pandemic… it is submitted that the State does not have a protocol for detection and treatment of mucormycosis which has been known to follow Covid-related illness,” the High Court noted in its order.
“Some of the petitioners have flagged the issue of the approval by the State of Goa of Ivermectin for its therapeutic or prophylactic uses. It is submitted that this particular medicine does not have the approval of either our DCGI or international regulatory authorities. It is submitted that in fact WHO has issued an advisory against the use of Ivermectin for Covid-related treatment,” the High Court noted.
A fresh petition by way of a PIL referred to issues pertaining to fire safety in hospitals and Covid care centres including servicing of existing fire equipment.
“Since these companion petitions have already been served some time back on the respondent State and the State proposes anyway to file its affidavit in the petition of South Goa Advocate's Association, which has been treated a lead case by us for Covid-related public issues, the State will naturally reflect and communicate its response to these additional issues in their proposed affidavit,” the High Court said.
The Advocate General also offered to communicate to the High Court the State's policy decision, if any, on the procurement of vaccination shots from sources other than the Union Government.
“We are also of the view that whilst the State has proposed much-needed augmentation of medical infrastructure for Covid treatment, there has been no clarity on proportionate increase of manpower required for handling this additional infrastructure to enable it to cater to additional patients. Let a comprehensive affidavit be filed by the Respondent State on all issues as indicated above,” the High Court said.
For its part, the Union Government has agreed to focus, in its own affidavit proposed to be filed by 27.05.2021, on Covid vaccination doses to be issued to the State not only for the immediate present but also on a long term footing, so as to take care of second doses of vaccine to be administered to priority age groups and also for eventual vaccination of other age groups which are soon to be roped in for the vaccination drive.
Faldessai has agreed to file an affidavit on behalf of the Union, dealing particularly with this issue apart from the other issues indicated by us in our order dated 17.05.2021.
