(Asian Independent)
Peoples’ Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Uttar Pradesh
Through this letter, we want to draw the attention of the Government of Uttar Pradesh to the constitutional rights of life and health of the people, which is being ignored these days. This neglect is not just in the lack of treatment, but in many aspects related to life and health, which is worrying for any democratic society.
For the past one year, the corona epidemic has taken the entire nation into its grip. While it came as a second wave this year the prolonged assembly elections in West Bengal and other states the Kumbh Mela of Haridwar organized by the government and the congregations held in the state’s panchayat elections have spread the disease more rapidly. On the one hand, the government is prohibiting the individual programs of the people, on the other hand, it organized events such as Kumbh Mela, which has gathered millions of people. Of course it was later abolished, but its effect is revealed to be the rapid spread of the corona.
Along with this, it is a matter of concern that adequate treatment facility of corona is not being available in the entire state. The patients and their families are running from one district to another, not just from one hospital to another, for running beds, oxygen cylinders and ventilators in hospitals. It is very sad and shameful that in this situation people have to arrange their own oxygen. Not the corona, but the death toll due to lack of oxygen has been increasing. The heart-breaking pictures of patients struggling for breath in autos, in vans and on the roadside outside of hospitals, and relatives distressed for oxygen, are embarrassing for any democratic country, it is worrying. This scene is the hallmark of the complete collapse of the state’s medical system.
Not only hospital beds, oxygen and ventilators, the people of the state are currently suffering from a shortage of injectable remedies for corona and fever, cough medicine, and vitamin pills that enhance the immune system. These are not only lacking, but all these medicines are being sold at a price several times higher than their original price. Whereas in times of disaster, these medicines should be available from the government for less than the free or subsidized price. Due to limited availability and access to drugs and oxygen, their black marketing is at peak. Which can be prevented not by any law but by increasing availability.
On the one hand, the patients of Corona are struggling with lack of treatment and medicines, in the name of “Kovid Protocol”, no other patients are being treated in the hospitals at the moment, all other patients are being ignored. The condition of such patients is becoming fragile, and they too are rapidly moving towards death, as no hospital is admitting them.
In many districts including Allahabad, Banaras, the decree has been issued to vacate the university hostels. At this time, sending students out of their rooms and sending them home is like exposing them to the Covid virus. On the one hand, the government of the state is not able to provide patients a place in hospitals, on the other hand it is pushing the healthy people to become patients, this is not correct policy decision.
PUCL reminds Uttar Pradesh government that the right to life and health is the constitutional right of every citizen, these days they are under severe repression. Article 21 of the constitution guarantees dignified life, but the chaos in the state these days for life is disregarded. Under this, the health of every citizen is the responsibility of the government, so that the dignified life of the citizens can be protected. This is the first duty of the government towards the public.
Therefore, in view of these conditions in the state, PUCL makes the following demands from the Government of Uttar Pradesh –
1. To prevent the spread of the epidemic, all government and non-government collective programs should be banned.
2- Ensure proper treatment of corona patients. Free availability of oxygen and essential medicines should be ensured for them.
3- Stop the rising prices of life-saving and immune system enhancing drugs and make them available free of cost.
4- In view of the increasing patients, private hospitals should be taken under government supervision, and rooms of hotels, dharamshalas, guest houses should be used as corona wards.
5- Besides corona, other diseases should also be safely treated and the life of those patients also be protected.
6- The hostels should not be forcibly evacuated in the name of Corona, rather measures should be taken to keep the students safe there.
24-4-2021
Farman Naqvi,
Convener, PUCL Uttar Pradesh
