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Fight COVID-19 ‘balancing and protecting’ fundamental rights: Manipur HC to Govt

Manipur High Court
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The Government of India has so far supplied 2,691 Oxygen cylinders to the Manipur Government — 354 D-Type cylinders  and 1837 B-Type cylinders, the court’s order mentioned. 

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Manipur High Court on Thursday observed that unless the state administration is in a “state of preparedness”, it would be difficult for the authorities to adequately address and cope with the fresh challenges that may come up in future owing to mutation of the coronavirus compounded by the “lack of care and foolhardiness” of the general public, who “foolishly” continue to ignore COVID protocols and the prescribed standard operating procedures despite the imposition of curfew across the state. 

Effective measures have to be taken in this regard by the state duly “balancing and protecting” the fundamental rights of citizens, it added. 

The high court made the observation while hearing a PIL filed by Naresh Maimom on Thursday. 

The court also instructed the advocate general of Manipur to furnish the telephone numbers or mobile numbers of the Cells or persons to be accessed for registering complaints to the Grievance Redressal Cells of hospitals before the next hearing. 

The High Court also ordered the state government to take steps for effective implementation of the court’s order dated May, 18, 2021 in relation to publication of periodic updates in the newspapers with regard to Oxygen supplies and utilisation in all the hospitals across the state. The state government shall also indicate in its next additional reply affidavit, the steps taken to put in place a long-term plan for meeting future challenges, it added.

The court’s order also mentioned that as per a letter produced by ASG S Suresh, the Government of India has so far supplied 2,691 Oxygen cylinders to the Manipur Government — 354 D-Type cylinders  and 1837 B-Type cylinders. Also three PSA Oxygen plants have been allocated to the state — JNIMS, District Hospital of Churachandpur and Thoubal. 

The order also noted that as per an order of the Manipur Government dated May 19, 2021, an Audit Sub-Group on Medical Oxygen under the National Task Force has been constituted and set out its charter of duties.

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