Treat as representation plea to quash direction to pvt hospitals: HC to AAP govt

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the AAP government to treat as representation a plea seeking quashing of its direction to private hospitals and nursing homes to reserve 20 per cent of their total beds for COVID-19 patients. A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan refrained from entertaining the petition, by a doctor, as no representation was made to the government before approaching the court.

The bench directed the Delhi government, represented by its additional standing counsel Gautam Narayan, to take a decision as expeditiously as possible and practicable and in accordance with the law, rules, regulations and government policy governing such issues. With the direction, the court disposed of the plea by Anshuman Kumar who had contended that the Delhi government's May 24 order was contrary to the Centre's advisory of March 28 to create exclusive dedicated hospitals or separate blocks within a hospital with separate entry and exit point for management of COVID-19 patients.

He said if the May 24 direction to private hospitals and nursing homes to reserve 20 per cent beds for COVID-19 cases was implemented, it would lead to intermingling of coronavirus patients with non-COVID patients and further spread the infection. The petition, filed through advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal, suggested that if dedicated COVID-19 hospitals cannot be set up, then 20 per cent beds be reserved only in those hospitals which have separate blocks for out patient department (OPD) and in-patient department (IPD) with different exit and entry points.