The Supreme Court has sought a reply from the Centre on why private hospitals which were given free land by the government not give free treatment for coronavirus patients? The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to give its reply within a week, the apex court also said that hospitals which can treat such patients for free or at a nominal cost must be identified.
This development comes only a day after the Supreme Court took a suo moto cognisance of “problems and miseries of the migrant workers” who and themselves stranded in different corners of the country and inadequacies and certain lapses” in efforts made by the Centre and the various states.
The Court has all the contenting parties to come up with response in a week’s time and said that it will hear the matter on Thursday.
The Supreme Court also underlined the plight of millions of migrant workers who were struggling to get back home and were presently stranded on roads, highways, railway stations and on various state borders in the absence of food and transportation arrangements.
The Supreme Court also said that the government must take urgent steps to provide immediate arrangements for food and shelter free of cost for this section of the population.
The bench also observed that newspaper reports and media reports have been continuously showing the unfortunate and miserable conditions of migrant labourers walking for or travelling on cycles for long distances.
It is in this context that the Supreme Court’s intervention at this point becomes extremely crucial.
