Court flays delay in setting up labs at Ytl, Chanda and Gondia

Nagpur: Censuring the state government, the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court on Monday directed it to file an affidavit on all its earlier orders regarding coronavirus .
While adjourning hearing till Thursday, Justice Nitin Sambre asked government pleader (GP) Sumant Deopujari to explain the delay to start Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDL) at GMCHs in Yavatmal, Chandrapur and Gondia, along with Gadchiroli.
The GP was also told to reply on whether the government fulfilled all requirements as mentioned by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) for setting up Covid-19 testing laboratories at all these places, except Gadchiroli.
The directives came after amicus curiae Anup Gilda pointed out a TOI report published on Monday exposing how for nearly a month the government had failed to implement HC’s orders of setting up VRDL facilities at all these places. It mentioned that the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) recently issued equipment purchase orders to Haffkine Institute and it would take at least 10 days for creating necessary infrastructure for these specialized labs.
Earlier, the GP informed that the proposals for VRDL at Yavatmal, Chandrapur and Gondia are pending with ICMR. Assistant solicitor general (ASI) Ulhas Aurangabadkar informed that they had apprised the government of creating necessary infrastructure and setting up required equipment at all these GMCHs for getting approval.
He added that the ICMR had appointed AIIMS in the city as nodal agency for granting VRDL approvals. The judge then asked government to take steps to expedite starting of VRDL at all three GMCHs in Vidarbha.
On HC’s directives of providing sufficient PPEs to the health care workers, the government informed that it distributed 6,000 kits for the city. But NMC Sudhir Puranik informed that it had received only 3,000 kits.
Justice Sambre then asked government to come clear on actual numbers of kits distributed in the city.
The judge also directed ICMR to inform on number of rapid anti-body testing kits being provided in Vidarbha and Nagpur for Covid-19 testing before next hearing. The ASI then informed that the centre had five lakh such kits and those would be provided to the states on demand. He said guidelines in this regard were already issued to the states.
HC warns govt of contempt action over Mafsu lab
Blasting the government on failure to inform on starting VRDL at Maharashtra Animal and Fisheries Sciences University’s (MAFSU) veterinary college, Justice Sambre asked the GMCH dean and nodal officer why contempt action shouldn’t be taken against them. Deopujari then informed that although permission was granted to Mafsu, it was yet to start functioning due to lack of infrastructure, equipment and testing kits.