Karnataka has witnessed an alarming surge in Covid cases. (File)
As Karnataka struggles to cope with deadly second wave of coronavirus, the state's health infrastructure has come under tremendous pressure. Covid test (RT-PCR) reports are getting delayed and there is deep concern over the availability of hospital beds, oxygen and anti-viral drug Remdesivir despite assurances from the state government.
Amid growing concern, the High Court has now given directions to the state government on these issues.
This was followed by a letter received by the court about the difficulty in getting hospital beds, oxygen and the alleged black marketing of drugs.
On delay in test results, Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Aravind Kumar said the failure to provide test results in a reasonable time was creating very serious issues. "We direct the state government to take action against the labs that don't give RT-PCR tests results in 24 hours," the order read.
There have been reports of people not being able to get admitted to hospitals because they could not produce an RT-PCR report. The practice has to stop, the court stressed.
The state has appointed a nodal agency and a nodal officer to ensure smooth supply of Remdesivir.
The court said if patients were unable to get Remdesivir in adequate quantities, then it is a violation of their rights. "We directed the state to provide real-time updates of quantities of the drug in shops," it stated.
The Court also said the state should appoint officers to ensure that black marketing of Remdesivir is stopped.
Tragic stories are being reported from different parts of the country when it comes to oxygen shortage.
The state has said it can produce over 8000 tonnes a day - but on the ground the challenge sometimes continues.
The Court has directed that the government should consider having a distribution system where the state itself can provide oxygen to hospitals.
Long queues at cremation grounds has also been a sad fallout of the rising numbers of deaths due to Covid 19.
The High Court directed that the state had to step in and provide additional facilities. It also said the state needed to take care of the needs of Christians for burials.
Karnataka has logged over 12. 4 lakh cases so far; 25,795 cases were recorded yesterday. India's Covid case