PATNA: The
Patna
high court on Thursday asked civil surgeons of all the 38 districts of the state to appear before it virtually on Friday and furnish complete data on health infrastructure available at district and sub-divisional hospitals to deal with the likely third wave of
Covid
pandemic.
A division bench of Chief Justice
Sanjay Karol
and Justice S Kumar passed the order while hearing a batch of PILs on pandemic situation in the state. It got irked after observing that a counter affidavit signed by health department additional chief secretary (
ACS
)
Pratyaya Amrit
had incorrect information about health infrastructure like sanctioned posts and available number of doctors, beds in government health centres and hospitals.
In some districts, sanctioned and available count of doctors was shown as zero while no information regarding demand and supply of oxygen was mentioned in the affidavit. The court came down heavily on the ACS and lawyers representing the state government. The incorrect and contradictory information were highlighted by amicus curiae
Parul Prasad
.
The court has also asked the ACS to appear before it on Friday when the matter will be taken up for hearing through virtual mode.
“It seems the affidavit is false,” the court orally observed. To this, additional advocate general Anjani Kumar sought permission to withdraw the affidavit. However, the court denied the permission since the affidavit was supplied from the office of advocate general.
The AAG also submitted that
State Health Society
executive director may appear before the court as additional chief secretary was out of station, but the plea was outrightly rejected by the court.
The bench simultaneously also directed ACS to file a fresh affidavit within next four working days, detailing the infrastructure available at the hospitals.
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