'Centre treating Uttarakhand like step-child': HC as state's call for COVID aid unanswered

Just a day after Uttarakhand recorded the highest number of COVID-19 deaths in May, the Nainital High Court came down heavily upon the Central Government for neglecting the medical aid required by the state amid the lethal second wave of the Coronavirus. The High Court, while hearing a PIL related to the State's handling of the pandemic, said that the Centre was meting out 'step-child' like treatment to Uttarakhand and not providing adequate medical assistance.

The division bench of Chief Justice RS Chauhan and Justice Alok Verma on Thursday observed that the Centre is yet to respond to the requests for medicines, oxygen and other medical goods for the remote areas of the state where medical facilities are scarce. 

According to ANI, Uttarakhand's health secretary had written a letter to the Prime Minister's Office on May 10, urging the Centre to provide 1,000 oxygen concentrators and distribution of other essentials required for COVID care especially in remote areas where medical facilities are scarce. Despite the letter, the state government has alleged that it has not received any response from the Centre yet. The state government's spokesman Subodh Uniyal said that every order of the court will be followed and saving the lives of people is the priority of the state government. 

Commenting upon the High Court's 'step child' comment, social worker and researcher Anoop Nautiyal told ANI that the state government was not heeding the court's orders. 

"The High Court has consistently shown a mirror to the government. Unfortunately, the state government is not following the orders of the court. The biggest proof of this is that the High Court had instructed to conduct 50 thousand Corona tests every day during Kumbh Mela. They were supposed to conduct 15 lakh tests in 30 days but only 40 thousand tests were conducted during the Kumbh Mela," ANI quoted the social worker. 

COVID second wave hits Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand witnessed the highest number of deaths in the first 20 days of May since the start of the second wave of COVID-19. According to data from the Uttarakhand Health Department, there were 2,795 deaths and 1,23,868 new cases registered between May 1 and May 20. Meanwhile, between March 1 and May 20, 51% of the state's estimated 5,600 deaths occurred. Owing to a rise in the number of COVID-infected people in the state, the recovery rate has also decreased. 

Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand High Court on Friday released a set of guidelines to the state and central governments while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) regarding the spread of Coronavirus. The bench of Chief Justice RS Chauhan and Justice Alok Kumar Verma, hearing the PIL filed by Advocate Dushyant Mainali and others, declared that the State should increase the number of daily tests because the state government cannot reduce the number of tests as per ICMR instructions.