Plea against DDU hospital as Covid facility rejected

Vijay Arora

Legal Correspondent

Shimla, May 20

The HP High Court today dismissed the petition challenging the decision of the state declaring the Deen Dayal Upadhayay (DDU) Hospital, Shimla, a dedicated Covid hospital.

While dismissing the petition, a division bench comprising the Chief Justice L Narayana Swamy and Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua observed that “a conscious policy decision has been taken to declare the DDU hospital as a dedicated Covid hospital on the basis of an expert opinion affirmed by the high level review committee, which cannot be interfered with at this stage.”

No arbitrariness: HC

While rejecting the contentions of the petitioner the court observed, “We do not find any arbitrariness or unreasonableness while declaring DDU as dedicated Covid hospital”.

The court passed this judgment on a petition filed in Public Interest by a local resident Sushma Kuthiala seeking quashing the order issued on May 4 declaring DDU as dedicated Covid hospital for the area in and around Shimla.

It was alleged in the petition that the decision is bereft of any logic. The DDU hospital is centrally located in Shimla. The area surrounding the hospital is thickly populated. About 10,000 residents reside in the immediate vicinity of the hospital. It was further alleged that many residents of Shimla use the pathways surrounding the hospital to move in and around the town. Just beneath the hospital there is a gurdwara and local bus stand. Essential commodities such as bread, milk and newspapers are first unloaded beneath the hospital and then are distributed around the town for consumption.

However, on the other hand Ajay Vaidya, Senior Additional Advocate General contended on behalf of the state that there was no option with the state but to designate the DDU hospital as Dedicated COVID Hospital for Shimla and state has taken a conscious decision after consulting the experts.