The Telangana High Court on Thursday sought a status report from the KCR government in a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) kits to medical frontline workers and police personnel in the state.

A petition was filed in the High Court raising concerns about the spread of Covid-19 among the frontline workers such as doctors, paramedic staff, police personnel and sanitary workers. The petitioner argued that the frontline workers, more particularly the doctors and police personnel, who are involved in containing the spread of the virus were not provided with PPE kits, masks and other medical gear. The High Court directive to the state government comes in the wake of increasing numbers of fatalities reported among the police personnel and doctors. Recently, two police personnel succumbed to Covid-19.

Hearing the petition on Thursday, the High Court directed the state government to provide the ward-wise details of the number of corona patients under GHMC limits to the respective colony associations. Further, the court also directed the government to increase the rapid antigen tests as per the ICMR guidelines in view of the increasing coronavirus cases. The court also asked the KCR government why random testing for COVID-19 is not possible in the State and also directed it to increase the number of tests amid a sharp rise in positive cases. Further, the High Court asked the state government to submit a detailed report on the measures it had initiated on June 29.

Gandhi Hospital superintendent Rajarao and public health director Srinivas Rao appeared before the court. On their part, the state public health director informed the High Court that around 75 doctors contracted the virus while treating the patients, while Gandhi Hospital superintendent told the court that the hospital was giving plasma therapy and anti-viral drugs for the treating Covid-19 patients.