New Delhi, July 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Delhi High Court on Friday asked the Centre to work out a mechanism and issue guidelines with regard to extending the COVID-19 testing facility to mentally-challenged homeless persons, who do not have identity proofs, address, photographs, etc.
Directing the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to issue guidelines in this regard, a division bench of the High Court presided by Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan remarked, "If you can hold testing camps for big big people, then why not for the poor and the needy?"
The statement came with reference to a camp which was set up at the Delhi High Court recently by the Health Department of the Delhi government to conduct Rapid Antigen Diagnostic Tests for COVID-19 for all officers and officials of the court.
The court was hearing a PIL seeking the court's direction to the authorities to issue guidelines with respect to COVID-19 testing facility for mentally-challenged homeless persons.
The plea filed by advocate and petitioner in person Gaurav Kumar Bansal said these homeless mentally-challenged people also need a COVID-19 testing facility, as the Central and state governments are already organising various testing camps.
The court suggested to the Delhi Government and the Union of India that if the homeless people do not have any identity card and proof, the government should develop some mechanism to provide them a testing facility at least. After the observation the court granted time to the counsel, posting the matter for August 7.
During the previous hearing, the AAP government had informed the court that one of the primary problems being faced in the testing of the "homeless and destitute persons with mental illness or suspected mental illness is the non-availability or absence of photo identity card and a valid mobile number, both of which are mandated as mandatory conditions by the national guidelines of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)."
The petitioner said, "The mentally-challenged homeless persons being a neglected group within a vulnerable section of our society not only need special care and attention but also require regular support from the government as well as society."
"However, a crisis like the present COVID-19 pandemic puts additional responsibility on the government's shoulders to formulate and implement such public health programmes for mentally-ill homeless persons which not only provide them mental health treatment but can also effectively protect them from the said deadly virus," the plea added.
Source: IANS
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