Take up more number of tests, HC directs Telangana government

Hyderabad: The High Court Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy on Tuesday acting on five PILs through video conference directed the State Government that the dead bodies released from the hospital should be tested whether they are carrying Covid-19 or not. This direction is being given keeping in mind the distinct possibility that asymptomatic patients who may have died may be the carriers of coronavirus.

Apart from this order, the Court directed the State Government with a series of orders while directing it to ensure that the dead bodies being released by way of abundant caution will have to be tested for Coronavirus.

The State Government should take up more number of tests and ignoring the presence of coronavirus, by not testing large number of population is almost inviting Trojan hours within our state, Chief Justice opined. When a country like USA, which is a financially stable and equipped with the best medical infrastructure when compared to other countries in the world, could fall prey to Corona, a country like India and Telangana State should never sit back and relax but start strengthening ourselves to deal with this menace by going for more tests. Just two days ago, the WHO has clearly announced that, once the lockdown is lifted, the number of positive cases in the country will skyrocket and going by the figure, the number of tests carried out by our state is dismal, the Bench observed.

The Bench directed the State Government to inform the number of migrant workers who have arrived in Telangana State through trains from across India. How many have been tested, how many found positive and how many positive cases being tested, have they been sent to quarantine, how many of the secondary contacts have been tested and what is the situation in the villages, once these migrant workers have reached their villages. The Bench gave a volley of directions to the State Government directing it to furnish an elaborate report, more particularly on Suryapet and Nirmal districts, as both the districts fall under the category of Green Zone.

The Bench directed to know, as to what weighed the State to categorise these two districts into Green Zone, when the tests are at the lowest ebb. The Bench further directed the District Collectors of Nirmal and Suryapet to furnish a detailed report on the migrants and tests performed on them.

The Bench was anguished over the submission made by Director, Public Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Srinivasa Rao that the State is concerned about the health of the people and informed that the State Government is not answerable to WHO and is following the directions of ICMR.

The Bench termed the affidavit filed by Dr. Srinivasa Rao as rather vague, unprepared and contradictory at places and after going through his contention that 206 clusters have been identified in the state and four such clusters are in GHMC area. The Bench observed that the entire Telangana State does not confine to GHMC area, there are other districts which need to be concentrated upon, it added.

Chief Justice Chauhan during the adjudication of the five PILs, referred mainly to various articles and news items published in daily newspapers. The CJ Bench in the order directed that the State Government not only to continue the tests but to increase the number of tests. The Government cannot be permitted to hide behind a fig leaf stating financial constraints as human life and the life of the people of the State is the most important for good governance.

The Court directed the State Government to inform as to what weighed the Government in classifying Districts and changing the colors from Red Zone to Orange Zone and Orange Zone to Green Zone. The data on Covid in Nirmal and Suryapet Districts with regard to the number of tests conducted on the asymptomatic patients from May 1 to 25 should also be furnished.

The District Collectors should file affidavit giving details of the number of migrant people who entered into the both the Districts from other States from the date of relaxation of lockdown.