New Delhi: Observing that doctors and medical staff are the ‘first line of defence of the country’ in the battle against COVID-19 pandemic, the Supreme Court directed Wednesday the Centre to ensure that appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) are made available to them for treating coronavirus patients.
While passing a slew of interim directions to ensure safety of doctors and healthcare professionals, the apex court expressed concern over the recent incidents of attack on them and directed the Centre, all states and Union Territories to provide necessary police security to the medical staff in hospitals and places where patients, who are either quarantined, suspected or diagnosed with COVID-19, are housed.
The top court directed that ‘states shall also take necessary action against those persons who obstruct and commit any offence in respect to performance of duties by doctors, medical staff and other government officials deputed to contain COVID-19’.
The court passed the order on three petitions seeking protective kits, other requisite equipment and safety measure for doctors and healthcare workers amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The apex court directed that necessary police security be extended to doctors and other medical staffs, who visit places to conduct screening of people to find out symptoms of the disease.
“The government shall explore all alternatives including enabling and augmenting domestic production of protective clothing and gear to medical professional. This includes exploring of alternative modes of production of such clothing (masks, suits, caps, gloves etc.) and permitting movement of raw materials,” a bench of justices Ashok Bhushan and S Ravindra Bhat said.
The apex court also said that the government may also restrict export of such materials to augment inventory and domestic stock.
The bench noted that the doctors and medical staff are the ‘most vulnerable to fall prey to the virus, while protecting others from it’.
“The doctors and the medical staff who are the first line of defence of the country in combating the coronavirus pandemic have to be protected by providing personal protective equipment as recommended by WHO February 27, 2020,” the Supreme Court bench said.
PTI