In Brief
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of deficiencies in COVID-19 patient care and handling of dead bodies in hospitals across India. While finding that comprehensive guidelines existed, the Court emphasized that implementation through continuous supervision was critical. The Court directed the Union and States to constitute expert medical committees for weekly hospital inspections, install CCTV in COVID wards for transparency, uniformly implement discharge policies, prescribe reasonable testing rates nationwide, ensure positive test reports reach patients, and permit one attendant per patient. The matter was adjourned to July 2020 for further monitoring."
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