The Maharashtra government has assured the Bombay High Court that in view of incidents of fire in Covid-19 hospitals in the state, the concerned municipal corporations ensure that the hospital has obtained NOC from the Fire Safety Department before granting registration to private hospitals.
The statement was made by the Maharashtra government in a 42-page note before a division bench of chief justice Dipankar Datta and Justice MS Karnik contending apart from taking precautionary measures, it has sufficient budgetary allocations for fire safety in hospitals for the financial year 2021-22.
The government had filed the note pursuant to HC order on January 19 asking the government to place on record the prevailing Covid situation in the state and measures taken to ensure that the private-run hospitals adhere to fire safety and security norms. The HC is hearing public interest litigation on several issues related to the Covid19 pandemic and the management of the state's resources for controlling the same.
According to the note, the “budgetary allocation for the financial year 2021-22 as sanctioned regarding fire safety in the government hospitals of eight circles is Rs 72.90 crore from the sanctioned state budget and Rs 99.79 crore from the District Planning Development Committee.”
In addition, it states: “As per the mandatory provision of the Bombay Nursing Home Act, 1949, while granting registration to the health institution, the empowered authorities like a civil surgeon, district hospital, district health officer, Zilla Parishad and medical officer of health, municipal corporation ensures that the private hospital has obtained No Objection Certificate from Fire Safety Department.”
It further contends that the government has taken all the “necessary and requisite steps” for the purpose of “eradicating” the spread of Covid-19 and shall endeavour to do so.
As on January 19, active Covid-19 cases in the state are 2,64,708. Besides, 69,15,407 fully recovered patients have been discharged from the hospitals. The recovery rate in Maharashtra is 94.4 percent. With 49 deaths in the state, the fatality rate is 1.93 percent, reads the note.
As per the note, a total of 1.4 lakh people died of Covid-19 across the state since March 2020.
According to the note, 23,93,704 patients are in home quarantine, whereas only 3,200 people are in institutional quarantine.
The new Omicron variant has affected 2,074 people across the state. At present, there are only 214 active cases in the state, of which 31 patients are in Mumbai and 158 patients in Pune.
There are enough beds, in private as well as government hospitals, with oxygen supply, ICU beds and ventilator beds in the state. Also, there is “sufficient oxygen availability” in the state to meet the current requirement. “State is monitoring daily requirement of oxygen and taking all precautions for continuous oxygen supply,” it adds.
As per data, 64.55 percent population has received both doses of the anti-Covid-19 vaccine, whereas 90.26 percent population has received the first dose.
The state government has undertaken various measures to increase vaccination coverage and achieve 100 percent dose coverage which includes steps like geographical mapping, task force meetings, microplanning, support of other departments for mobilisation and use of social media. Besides, special Covis-19 vaccination campaign called “Mission Kavach Kundal” has been undertaken by the state.
