K Sudhakar warns private hospitals of strict action if they do not reserve beds for COVID patients
Bengaluru, Apr 15: Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar on Thursday warned of strict action against private hospitals if they do not follow its instructions on reserving 50 per cent of the beds for Covid patients.
"Government hospitals in Bengaluru are instructed to reserve more beds for Covid patients. Private hospitals have also been instructed to reserve 50 per cent of the beds.
Strict action will be initiated against those who do not cooperate," Sudhakar said.
Noting that private hospitals have reserved only 15-20 per cent of what has been asked for, he said the government will consider it as a serious lapse, and strict measures will be initiated, if they do not follow the orders.
"Only critical non-Covid patients who need hospitalisation should be treated in hospitals. Government cannot keep quiet if Covid patients are denied treatment."
"I once again appeal to the private hospitals to cooperate with the government," he said, adding that private hospitals can arrange Covid care centres at hotels.
Noting that 400 doctors have been transferred from the Medical education department to the Health department, Sudhakar said the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Disease (RGICD) has been kept reserved for severe acute respiratory infection and influenza-like illness related cases.
Presently 300 beds are available in Bengaluru's Victoria hospital, for Covid patients and will be increased to 500 shortly, the minister was quoted as saying by his office in a release.
According to the release, 300 beds in Bowring hospital, 150 in Charaka, 100 beds in HSIS Gosha and 100 beds will be reserved in KC General hospital within two weeks.
Stating that the state's Technical Advisory Committee on COVID (consisting of experts) will be submitting its report on surging cases and containment measures to the government, Sudhakar said it will be handed over to the CM and he will take a decision after discussion with leaders at the all party meeting and cabinet colleagues.
Amid surge in COVID-19 cases, the state government has convened an all-party meeting on April 18 to discuss strategies to control the spread of infections.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Every institution can be improved, but it doesn't mean it is fundamentally flawed: CJI
Mumbai (PTI): Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud has said every institution can be improved, but it should not lead to a conclusion that there is something fundamentally wrong with it.
He was talking about the collegium system on Saturday during an interaction after delivering the inaugural lecture in a series organised by the Marathi daily `Loksatta' here.
To a question on the collegium system of appointment of Supreme Court and High Court judges, the CJI said it is a federal system where the responsibility has been given to different levels of governments (both the Centre and the states) and the judiciary.
"It is a process of consultative dialogue, where consensus emerges, but at times there is no consensus, but that's part of the system. We must have the maturity to understand that this represents the strength of our system," Chandrachud said.
"I wish, we will be able to foster a greater consensus, but the point of the matter is, this is dealt with a very great level of maturity on the parts of different levels within the judiciary and different levels within the governments," he added.
If there is an objection about a particular candidate, discussions take place with a "very great deal of maturity", the chief justice noted.
"We have to understand that it is very easy to criticise the institution that we have formed....every institution is capable of betterment. But the very fact that there are institutional improvements, which are possible, should not lead us to a conclusion that there is something fundamentally wrong with the institution," he said.
"The fact that these institutions have stood the test of time for over the last 75 years is a reason for us to trust our system of democratic governance of which judiciary is well a part," he added.
To another question, the chief justice said unlike in other fields, the work burden of a judge increases both in terms of volume and complexity as he or she rises in the judiciary.
"Our judges are not galivanting or goofing up even in the vacation, they are deeply committed to the work they do," he said.
The orders they pass will define the country in next decades, but judges hardly get time to think or read about law (aside from their work), the chief justice said.
"....do we give our judges sufficient time to think or read about the law or do you just want them to be merely a mechanical machine in the disposal of cases," he asked.
Despite its drawbacks, the emergence of social media is good for society, CJI Chandrachud said.
"The whole universe of judging, I believe, has undergone changes due to social media. Judges have to be very careful about what they say, use appropriate language," he said.
"I still feel that the advent of social media is good for society, as it enables the user to reach a huge section of society," he remarked.
