62 out of 214 private hospitals missing ’No objection certificate’ in Gujarat ! – Supreme Court slams Gujarat Government

Court directs all states to submit status report on safety measures at Covid-19 hospitals

• Political and administrative negligence about the safety of hospitals is unacceptable. This happens only in India !
• People demand that the court puts the culprits behind bars !

New Delhi – The Supreme Court has taken the Gujarat Government to task on the fire safety measures taken to contain fire tragedies. The court raised serious questions about the affidavit submitted by the Government regarding safety measures – In the State of Gujarat, why 62 out of 214 private hospitals have no NOCs ? What does this mean ? And how can one follow safety rules without NOC ? The Court then directed all States to submit affidavits detailing the fire safety audits conducted at Covid-19 hospitals. 6 patients were killed after a fire broke out in one of the hospitals at Rajkot, Gujarat. The Court took upon itself to evaluate  the measures taken by all the hospitals in the country to combat the Covid-19 situation and sought a response from the State and Central Governments. The next hearing will be on 18^th December.

1. The court asked if the Gujarat Government has presented any information on safety measures in the hospitals ? The court observed that 16 notices sent to the Rajkot hospital have elicited no response yet.

2. The Solicitor General said that the State Government is collecting fines from those who are found without masks or violate social  distancing protocols. He added that the Gujarat Government has collected 90 crores as fines from violators.

3. Court said this clearly shows that protocol is being violated on an exceptionally large scale. People are gathering in large numbers for weddings and not even wearing masks.

4. Solicitor General replied that, “the wedding season has ended. And the situation will improve”. The Court observed that, “there is no season for tourists. Political gatherings are also violating the protocol”.