The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the government to consider giving a ‘break’ to medical staffers in the forefront of the battle against the pandemic, saying working in the COVID-19 wards continuously for months may take a toll on their mental health.
“For the last seven-eight months doctors have not been given any break and are continuously working. You take instruction and think over giving them some break. It must be very painful and might be affecting their mental health,” a three-judge Bench led by Justice Ashok Bhushan told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, for the Centre.
Posters not required outside homes of COVID-19 patients: Supreme Court
The Bench was shocked to hear that the Gujarat government had collected around ₹90 crore from people who violated the norm to wear face masks in public. The court said despite the collection of a huge amount as fine, violations continue in the State.
Perusing an affidavit filed by Gujarat on fire safety in hospitals and public places, the court said it does not specify the hospitals which have fire clearance certificates. The information cited is of 2006.
The Bench had taken suo motu cognisance of the recent blaze in a COVID hospital in Rajkot where several patients died.
The Bench pointed out that 16 notices were sent to a hospital in Rajkot itself but nothing was done about it and many hospitals have no fire NOCs in Gujarat.
It said 61 of the 260 private hospitals in Gujarat do not have fire NOCs. Mr. Mehta said responsible persons have been appointed as nodal officers.
The court posted the case for further hearing on December 18.
