The Madras High Court on Wednesday said that it expected the State Health Secretary to consider a suggestion made by a petitioner to provide masks to the public free of cost, if required, in the wake of A(H1N1) influenza cases in the State.
The First Bench, comprising Chief Justice H.L. Gokhale and Justice D. Murugesan, passed the order on a public interest litigation petition by a social worker, K.R. Ramaswamy alias ‘Traffic’ Ramaswamy.
The petitioner said the authorities were not taking any basic preventive measures such as supplying protective masks, spraying disinfectants and cleaning infected areas. Protective masks were being sold by retail outlets at an exorbitant price.
People were in a state of panic and authorities had failed to give proper guidelines and instructions to the public on how to protect themselves from infection.
He had sent a representation dated August 10 to various authorities, but no effective action was taken.
He prayed the court to direct the authorities to consider his representation to issue protective masks free of cost to all in the State along with proper guidelines regarding their use and disposal.
When the matter came up, the Government Pleader said not many masks were required now. Even so, the Bench said it expected the Health Secretary to consider the suggestion made in the petition to provide masks free of cost, if required.
It would, however, be for the government to take appropriate decision, the Bench said, and disposed of the petition.
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