The Meghalaya High Court has told social activist Agnes Kharshiing that she cannot be allowed to pursue two courses of action pertaining to the same matter.
It may be mentioned Kharshiing had last year filed a public interest litigation (PIL) regarding the plight of patients and pregnant mothers who could not get medical attention in government hospitals during the initial surge of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
The PIL also highlighted the death of over 800 babies and 60 pregnant women.
Kharshiing later filed a similar petition on the matter before the Meghalaya Human Rights Commission.
During the hearing of her PIL on March 31, the division bench of the High Court said, “The petitioner cannot be permitted to pursue two courses of action pertaining to the same matter.”
The court also asked Kharshiing to choose which of the matters will be prosecuted by her. The matter will come up for hearing in the High Court on April 22.
It may be mentioned that on March 25, the State government through the Health Department stated that the figures relied upon by Kharshiing have been obtained pursuant to information relayed by the State under the Right to Information Act, 2005.
The government stated that it may not be accurate to suggest that since all hospitals were geared only for Covid treatment or that would-be mothers or mothers with infants-in-arms or neonatal requiring urgent medical attention were turned away from government hospitals or health-care centres.
The government also said that in the wake of the initial surge of the pandemic, between the end of March and July 2020, it was the fear of the pandemic that may have prevented most people from stepping out and seeking medical assistance where necessary.
However, no break-up on such an account has been furnished by the government nor have any figures been indicated as to the availability of hospital beds for delivery cases and the like during the relevant period.
On this, the High Court directed the State government to get back with a comprehensive report, backed by figures at the next hearing on March 31.
The High Court also asked the State government to consider some form of package for those cases where lives may have been lost due to want of medical facilities during the period of Covid pandemic.
