Plea to operationalise non-functional hospitals before third COVID wave: HC seeks Delhi govt stand

A plea in the Delhi High Court on Friday urged it to direct the Delhi government to take immediate steps for ensuring operation of non-functional hospitals and to improve Mohalla clinics in the national capital to deal with the predicted third wave of COVID-19. Justice Rekha Palli issued notice to the Centre and Delhi government and sought their stand on the petition which also seeks formulation of a scheme for fair and transparent distribution of the Rs one crore compensation to family of frontline workers who succumbed to COVID-19 while performing their duties.

The plea by a Delhi resident has also sought speeding up of construction of all the hospitals, which are not yet completed and to use the staff of Mohalla clinics, if they are not being operationalised, to provide tele-consultation or man COVID centres.

The petition has contended that if instant and prompt steps, precautions and necessary measures are not taken to prepare for a third wave of COVID-19, "it may result in many unfortunate/undesired deaths and this time death rate will be more than our expectations".