There should be no clampdown on citizen seeking COVID-19 help on internet, say SC
New Delhi: There should be no clampdown on citizens seeking help on the presumption that they are raising false grievances on the internet, the Supreme Court said on Friday, terming the second wave of COVID-19 cases as a national crisis.
"There should be free flow of information, we should hear voices of citizen," said a bench headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud, and asked the Centre, states and all DGPs not to take any action against anyone posting a shortage of oxygen, beds or doctors as spreading rumour.
If any action is taken against such posts by citizens in distress, we will treat it as contempt of the court, the bench also comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao and S Ravindra Bhat said.
Observing that even frontline doctors and healthcare workers were not getting beds for treatment, the bench said the healthcare infrastructure inherited over past 70 years was not sufficient and the situation was grim.
The apex court said hostels, temples, churches and other places be opened for converting them as COVID-19 care centres.
It said the Centre should adopt national immunization model as poor people will not be able to pay for vaccines.
"What happens to the marginalised and SC/ST population? Should they be left to the mercy of private hospitals, it asked.
The court also said the government must consider National Immunisation Programme for various vaccines and must think of providing free of cost vaccination to all citizens.
It said the healthcare sector has come to a breakpoint and retired doctors or officials could be re-employed in this crisis. The top court also said that private vaccine manufacturers cannot be allowed to decide which state should get how much.
It allowed the Centre to give a power point power point presentation on COVID-19 preparation.
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Four dead, 6 injured in road accident in Bihar's Saran district
Chhapra (Bihar) (PTI): Four people, including two women, died on the spot and six others were injured in an accident in Bihar's Saran district on Wednesday morning, a police official said.
The incident took place on the Brahmpur-Revelganj road in Bhagwan Bazar police station area of the district.
Talking to PTI, Chhapra SDPO (Sadar-1) said, "Around 5.45 am, a pickup vehicle travelling from Brahmpur towards Uttar Pradesh, which had 12 people on board, lost control and overturned. An unidentified truck allegedly ran over four people, including two men and two women, who had fallen onto the road."
Of the six people who were injured, four are undergoing treatment at Sadar hospital in Chhapra, and two others, who are in a critical condition, have been referred to Patna Medical College and Hospital for treatment, he added.
The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination.
An FIR was registered at the Traffic police station, and further legal action is being taken, officials said.
CCTV footage from nearby areas is being examined to identify the truck and its driver, they added.
The SDPO said the deceased belonged to different regions of Uttar Pradesh, and police are trying to reach out to their families.
