Supreme Court anguished at Gujarat's hospitals notification

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday pulled up the Gujarat government for bringing a notification to reverse its order on fire safety norms in Covid hospitals, warning that putting of the adherence till 2022 would mean "people will continue to die by burning".

A bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and M.R. Shah expressed anguish at the state government for breaching its order, citing the recent government notification, and added it only gives more time to hospitals that do not have a fire safety system and till they take action, patients will continue to die.

"The notification gives the impression that the state is protecting illegality," the bench said, telling the Gujarat government to withdraw the notification extending the deadline for hospitals in connection with building use permissions.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, on his part, submitted that the court should visualise the impact, if a 10-story building with a hospital, required for Covid treatment now, doesn't have building use permission. As a result, hospitals were required to be closed and in total, 30,000 beds could become unavailable.

Justice Chandrachud responded that there is no point in condoning lapses of these nursing homes which are not supposed to be in those buildings in the first place. Justice Shah added if any recommendation is made, the government should see to it that corrective measure is taken. (IANS)

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