‘Pathetic’: HC Slams Guj Govt on Deaths Due to Lack of Ventilators

‘Pathetic’ is how the Gujarat High Court described the condition in Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. Representative image.

(Photo: Harsh Sahani/The Quint)

‘Pathetic’ is how the Gujarat High Court on Friday, 22 May, described the condition of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, which is a dedicated facility for COVID-19 treatment.

"It is very distressing and painful to note that the condition prevailing, as on date, in the Civil Hospital, is pathetic", observed a division bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Ilesh J Vora, reported Live Law.

The court questioned if the state government was aware that the cause of high mortality of patients was due to the lack of adequate number of ventilators.

The court asked the health department if it was aware of the affairs of the Civil Hospital and how the state planned to tackle the problem.

"We wonder, how many times the health minister of the state has visited the Civil Hospital at Ahmedabad so as to keep a watch or take stock of what is going on at the Civil Hospital. Does the health minister of the State of Gujarat has any idea about the problems which the patients, doctors, nursing staff and other employees are facing as on date? How many times the health minister has interacted with the Medical Officers and other staff members in person so as to understand their difficulties and problems?” the bench asked, as per the report.

Coronavirus cases in Ahmedabad district crossed the 10,000-mark after 277 new cases were reported on Saturday, the state health department said.

The court noted that out of total 625 deaths in Gujarat, 570 deaths have been recorded in the Ahmedabad City till 20 May, said the media report. The Civil Hospital contributes to 62 percent of the total deaths.

The court listed that there were several concerning issues like inadequate patient care, delayed treatment of critical patients and no single command and control structure. The court even pointed out that the medical personnel were are not being given proper PPE kits and N-95 masks, and the doctors working are not being tested for COVID-19.

The court directed the state to transfer doctors who are not performing in the Civil Hospital to other districts, improve the working conditions of the resident doctors, hold the senior officers accountable, increase the number of ventilators and beds and instructed punitive action be taken against the ward boys who leave the patients unattended, reported Live Law.

A committee was constituted with Dr Ami Parikh, Head of the General Medicines, SVP Hospital, Ahmedabad, Dr Advait Thakore, Head of the Emergency Medicines at the SVP Hospital, Ahmedabad and Dr Bipin Amin, Professor (Medicines) at the Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad, to look into these issues.