COVID-19 care for elderly patients: SC seeks report from states

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Monday asked states to file a detailed affidavit within four weeks on a plea seeking directions to provide masks and sanitisers for senior citizens, who are living alone, amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

A bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan, R. Subhash Reddy and M. R. Shah was informed by former Union Minister and senior advocate Ashwini Kumar that the affidavits filed by states based on August 4 direction of the court lack detail on actions taken to address the issue. Kumar submitted before the bench that except Orissa and Punjab, the affidavits on record lack details.

On August 4, the top court had directed that all pensioners should be regularly paid pension, and states should provide them necessary medicines, masks, sanitisers and other essentials amid the ongoing pandemic.

Kumar had argued that the elderly amid the pandemic need more care and protection. Today, Kumar insisted that priority should be granted to senior citizens who are undergoing treatment at various hospitals. He cited the affidavit filed by Manipur and contended that state governments should file better affidavits with more details on the actions taken so far.