FIR against Ganga Ram hospital for 'violating' COVID-19 norms

An FIR has been lodged against the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH) for allegedly violating COVID-19 regulation norms, after Delhi government registered a complaint in this connection. According to the first information report (FIR), the complainant is a senior official of the Delhi health department.

There was no immediate reaction from the authorities of the SGRH, a leading private hospital with 675 beds which was on June 4 declared a COVID-19 facility by the Delhi government, and told to reserve 80 per cent beds for coronavirus patients. The FIR has been filed against the medical superintendent of SGRH under the section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the IPC for allegedly violating directions issued under Epidemic Disease COVID-19, Regulation 2020.

According to the complaint, the hospital was allegedly not using RT-PCR app while collecting COVID-19 samples. As per the guidelines, it is “mandatory” for labs to collect samples through RT-PCR app, it said. The official has alleged that the "violation" on part of the hospital is not adhering to COVID-19 regulation norms, as specified under the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897. The FIR said, "The CDMO-cum-mission director central has mentioned that Sir Ganga Ram Hospital is still not using RT-PCR app even till June 3, which is a clear violation of directions issued under Epidemic Disease Covid-19 Regulation 2020 Act". Meanwhile, sources said, patients who are asymptomatic or showing mild symptoms of COVID-19, are getting discharged gradually from SGRH.

Delhi government had sent a communication to the management of the SGRH on Thursday directing it to keep 540 out of its 675 beds for COVID-19 patients. At the same time, the government had asked the hospital to not conduct any COVID-19 tests, officials said. The microbiology laboratory at the hospital was testing around 300 samples daily for coronavirus infection, they said. Two hospitals run by SGRH, Sir Ganga Ram Kolmet Hospital and Sir Ganga Ram City Hospital, have already been operating as dedicated COVID-19 facilities following directives from the Delhi government. Delhi recorded 1,320 fresh coronavirus cases on Saturday taking the COVID-19 tally in the city to over 27,000-mark, and the death toll due to the disease mounted to 761, authorities said The highest spike in fresh cases -- 1513 -- was recorded on June 3. A total of 2,46,873 COVID-19 tests have been conducted till date, the Delhi health department said in its bulletin on Saturday.

Seeking to streamline the testing process, the Union Health Ministry had launched a dedicated RT-PCR mobile-based app for labs to fill the data at the point of sample collection. Following the directives, Delhi government had made it mandatory for all lab collection and testing centres to download that app.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a virtual press conference on Saturday said, action has been taken against six of the 42 testing labs in the city for "violating ICMR norms"..

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)