Mumbai: While the Maharashtra government told the Bombay High Court bench of Justices Amjad Sayed and Girish Kulkarni that it would launch a comprehensive dashboard by June 15, the BMC said it need not change its existing dashboard that reflects data on Covid-19 cases, availability of beds etc.
The bench was hearing a clutch of petitions regarding Covid crisis.
Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni told the bench that pursuant to the Court's earlier orders, the state has developed a comprehensive dashboard, which is in the last stage.
"This dashboard will connect more than 3,000 hospitals and also the existing dashboards of 25 districts in the state," AG said.
To this, Justice Kulakrni replied, "If that is the case then Maharashtra would be the first state in our country to have such a comprehensive dashboard."
On a query put forth by Justice Sayed, AG responded that the dashboard would be made available by June 15.
"But hope this dashboard would have a real-time update of the data," Justice Sayed said.
To this, AG replied that it is ready with everything. "But it is also for these hospitals to be ready. They will have to submit the data continuously," he said.
"In that case, you (state) can consider reflecting those hospitals on the dashboard, who haven't submitted or updated the data. The people should be told that these hospitals have defaulted (in updating data) and you can consider taking action against them," Justice Sayed said.
Meanwhile, senior counsel Anil Sakhare representing BMC said that the civic body need not change the present dashboard.
"We are using the present system since last one year and this has helped us reach out to the citizens. Our system gets data from ICMR and the same is then bifurcated as per the wards and then the citizens are personally called on their numbers," Sakhare said.
"Our system helps us reduce the panic situation. Thus, we need not change our system," Sakhare said, adding, "however, a decision would be taken after the state asks us to link our board with its new dashboard," the senior counsel added.
The bench said it would consider the issue on next date of the hearing.
