Decide on Nagpur's COVID facility plan in 1 week: HC to Maha

Taking suo motu notice of problems faced by patients, it also asked the state chief secretary to be present in court to explain in case no action is taken on the proposal. In the last hearing on September 10, HC had said ailing people cannot be turned away due to lack of hospital beds.

The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court on Tuesday directed the Maharashtra government to take a decision within one week on the Nagpur Municipal Corporation's proposal to create a 1000-bed facility for coronavirus positive patients. Taking suo motu notice of problems faced by patients, it also asked the state chief secretary to be present in court to explain in case no action is taken on the proposal.

In the last hearing on September 10, HC had said ailing people cannot be turned away due to lack of hospital beds. On Tuesday, the Nagpur civic chief told the court that a proposal had been sent to the state government to create a 1000-bed facility but it had not got a response as yet.

The facility, in Mankapur stadium, will have 400 ventilator beds and 400 oxygen beds. Justices Ravi Deshpande and Pushpa Ganediwala directed the state government to take a decision on this proposal in one week.

The court expressed surprise at the state government ignoring the proposal at a time when the death rate was increasing and mortuaries were full. "If we find that no action is taken on the proposal, we direct the chief secretary of the state to personally remain present before us so as to make statement and explain difficulties in discharging the duties," the court said.

The bench also warned it would issue non-bailable warrants to hospitals and nursing colleges, some 20 in number, if they fail to give a list of paramedical staff to the administration. The court directed them to furnish the list in two days.

The next hearing of the case is on Thursday.