The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Centre to examine the issue of providing Personal Protective Equipment to all health care workers in non-covid treatment areas and make necessary suggestions for ‘Rational Use of Personal Protective Equipment’ guidelines.
A Three-Judge Bench headed by Justice N.V. Ramana was hearing application seeking directions for providing PPEs to all health care workers in ‘Non-Covid’ treatment areas due to the reported growing number of asymptomatic Covid-19 patients.
“We direct the Union of India to examine this issue and make necessary suggestions in the ‘Rational Use of Personal Protective Equipments (PPE)’ Guidelines so that PPEs are provided to all health officials who are working in non-Covid treatment areas,” the bench said.
The Court had on April 8 passed certain directions to ensure PPEs are made available to doctors, nurses, ward boys and paramedical staff treating Covid-19 patients or those who come in contact with them at the designated isolation/quarantine wards.
The Courts direction came on a plea filed medical practitioner Sameer Paltewar’s who highlighted that all the healthcare workers were at the risk of contacting the infection. As the healthcare workers in Covid-19 wards are required to visit non-Covid19 areas and this put the entire ecosystem in hospital at risk.
“infection from asymptomatic patients is reported to be on the rise in the country. We find substance in the suggestions made by the applicant,” the Court said.
-India Legal Bureau