Will Obey LG’s Hospital Order, Not the Time for Argument: Delhi CM
Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal on Monday overturned the Delhi govt orders on hospital admissions & COVID-19 testing.
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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday, 10 June, said that Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal’s order to not reserve beds for only Delhi patients in the national capital will be implemented in letter and spirit and that this isn’t a time for disagreements.
“LG's directives will be implemented in letter and spirit, this is not the time for disagreements or arguments,” the CM said in a video address.
“We will try our best to make arrangements to provide treatment to all. We all have to fight COVID-19 together,” Kejriwal said, adding that If people from other states start coming to Delhi for treatment, the state will need 1.5 lakh beds by 31 July.
LG Baijal had on Monday overruled the Delhi government’s order on reserving Delhi government hospitals and some private hospitals for residents of the national capital. The LG had on Tuesday said that the AAP government's order violated constitutional rights.
“In my view, this order violates constitutional rights. The Delhi High Court in a judgment had said that the Right to Equality and the Right to Life also include the Right to Health. And if a facility is denied on the basis of residence, then it would have been violative of the Constitution. Therefore, I thought it was right for me to change it, and make the facilities of health infrastructure available to all people...When it comes to healthcare, access to universal healthcare is the responsibility of the state,” Baijal had told news agency ANI.
The LG had overturned the government's decision saying that treatment "should not be denied to any patient on grounds of being a non-resident of Delhi."
Reacting to the LG's order, Kejriwal had said, "LG's order has created a huge problem and challenge for the people of Delhi."
Baijal, on Tuesday, also stressed on the need for all agencies – be it Central government, state government or local bodies – to work together to fight the coronavirus outbreak.
"This is why I called an all-party meeting today. It was conducted in a harmonious manner and a number of useful suggestions have been received... With the Delhi government, regular meetings of SDMA are held in the presence of the CM and Deputy CM. In the DDMA meeting, we get full support from the Centre, which sends their experts from time to time to guide us. Having said that, I reserve the right to take decisions in the interest of the people of Delhi," he was quoted by ANI as saying.
Meanwhile, the Lieutenant Governor's office on Tuesday said that Delhi belongs to everyone and that instead of discriminating among patients, governments should plan and prepare for adequate infrastructure, reported PTI.
‘BJP Pressurised LG’
Reacting to the overruling of the AAP government’s order, Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia on Tuesday had said, "BJP pressurised Lieutenant Governor and made him overrule our decision. Now priority will not be given to people of Delhi in Delhi hospitals," as per ANI.
He asked, "Why is BJP doing politics over COVID-19 and trying to fail the policies of state governments?"
In one order, LG had referred to the Constitution of India and said, "Right to Health is an integral part of Right to Life".
In another order, as Chairperson of DDMA (Delhi Disaster Management Authority) he had said, "... All departments and authorities concerned of NCT of Delhi, to ensure that ICMR strategy for COVID-19 testing in India issued on 18 May 2020 is strictly observed in NCT of Delhi without any deviation."
What AAP Had Said on Hospitals?
After Kejriwal's briefing on Sunday, the AAP government faced a lot of criticism on social media platforms, with many questioning the legality of this decision to not allow non-Delhi residents in some hospitals.
Earlier, defending the move, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain had said, "So, the people of Delhi need space for treatment. Besides, neighbouring states say they do not even have coronavirus cases.”
"If they are not even saying they have virus cases, then what is the issue?" he added.
During a briefing on Sunday, Kejriwal had said, “By the end of the month of June, Delhi would need 15,000 beds... Over 90 percent people want Delhi hospitals to treat patients from the national capital during coronavirus pandemic... Delhi hospitals will be available for the people of Delhi only, while Central hospitals will remain open for all... If people from other cities come to Delhi for specific surgeries, they will be treated at private hospitals.”
(With inputs from ANI & NDTV)
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