New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the Delhi government to treat as representation the plea filed by a toddler against the decision of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government restraining asymptomatic patients from getting tested, claiming that he is at a considerable risk as he has working members in the family.
The court has asked the Delhi government to treat the plea filed by the two-year-old through his father saying he is a resident of Delhi and lives in a joint family comprising working members who would be resuming work/regular office pursuant to the “unlockdown” as announced by the government with effect from June 8. He also said he is at considerable risk of contacting COVID-19 through these members due to lifting of restriction on movements.
In his plea filed through advocate Arjun Syal and Vidisha Gupta, the petitioner said, “Moreover, the situation has been further aggravated due to discontinuation of testing of asymptomatic cases, shortage of requisite healthcare infrastructure such as hospital beds and ventilators etc.”
The petition also claimed that disallowing testing of asymptomatic cases is complete deviation of the testing criteria/guidelines issued by Indian Council of Medical Research from time to time.
A bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Prateek has asked the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party government to consider as a representation, another petition filed by Vineet Kumar Wadhwa, through lawyer Praveen Chauhan.
The plea sought capping of rates to be charged by private hospitals for treating patients suffering from COVID-19.
The petitioner also sought court’s directive to the government to install santisation tunnels at all entrances in main markets and shopping complexes in Delhi. Wadhwa also prayed before the court that the government should develop a mechanism whereby the hospitals in Delhi should display the availability of COVID beds in their hospital at a prominent place in the hospital and on their websites.
