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Hearing a matter relating to facilities for treating post-Covid-19 complications, the Guwahati High Court has directed the Assam government to widely publicize facilities set up and available on post-Covid treatment. 

While welcoming the government's current efforts in the direction, the Division Bench comprising Justice N. Kotiswar Singh and Justice Manish Choudhury, observed that though arrangements have been made, they appear to be decentralized and scattered.

The bench said, “In our view, a more cohesive form of service may be required to be given by opening a ward or unit or a centre as the case may be.”

In this regard, Standing Counsel for Health Department for Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Assam submitted that he would bring more details to the court floor on the next date of hearing.

Earlier, on Jun 7, the court had passed an order expressing the hope that the government may open a dedicated post-Covid clinic in a government hospital or in a medical college in Kamrup (metro) to take care of various post-Covid complicacies. In response the state government filed an affidavit on June 14, highlighting the steps and arrangements made to deal with post-Covid care.

In this affidavit, the state government mentioned that on May 5, the Director of Medical Education, Assam had already issued one letter addressed to all the head of institutions of the various government medical colleges in Assam for making necessary arrangements for such patients.

However, during the hearing on Monday, counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner Anjan Nagg, highlighted the importance of having one centralized unit, preferably a clinic, as recommended by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee has observed that a regular and comprehensive follow-up of people having recovered from COVID-19 would help define the clinical and care needs. Such information can also be used to modify/improvise the post Covid-treatment model/protocol and plan.

The Committee has also recommended the Ministry to set up post-Covid clinics, on the lines of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi, to look after recovered patients who are facing post-Covid 19 illness issues like breathless, body ache, fatigue etc and provide conselling, yoga, physiotherapy, consultation and medication to boost immunity on a case-to-case basis to ensure their holistic treatment including rehabilitation.

The court also stressed upon a paper prepared by Nature Medicine Journal in its review article titled “Post-acute Covid-19 syndrome” that also suggested setting up clinics especially for post-Covid treatment.

“Thus, there is also experts’ view in the domain suggesting setting up of a separate clinic dedicated to deal with post Covid complicacies,” the court concluded.

The court said that though it acknowledged the steps already taken, it did not find any establishment of any centralized office or unit or ward or clinic where patients with post-Covid complicacies can go and get their problems addressed.

The matter is listed to be next heard on Nov 10, 2021. 

Case Title: Anjan Nagg v. Union of India and 5 Ors.