scorecardresearch
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Support Our Journalism
HomeIndiaGovernanceKarnataka-Kerala end border row, Yediyurappa govt to let non-Covid-19 patients enter state

Karnataka-Kerala end border row, Yediyurappa govt to let non-Covid-19 patients enter state

The governments of Kerala & Karnataka had been at odds since late March over the latter’s denial to allow patients seeking treatment at its medical facilities.

Follow Us :
Text Size:

Bengaluru/New Delhi: The border dispute between Kerala and Karnataka over the passage of patients seeking treatment in the latter state drew to a close Tuesday, after the Supreme Court was informed that the matter had been resolved with the central government’s intervention. 

The dispute started late March as an elderly woman died after she was denied passage to Mangaluru, which along with nearby Manipal is home to many world-class medical facilities. Karnataka cited its responsibility towards local residents’ health amid the Covid-19 pandemic to justify the barricades, but Kerala said they were depriving critically ill patients – including those seeking regular chemotherapy and dialysis – of life-saving care.

The Supreme Court had Friday asked the states to resolve the issue amicably, following which the Union Home Secretary convened a meeting with the chief secretaries of Kerala and Karnataka.

On Tuesday, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed a bench comprising Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde and Justice L. Nageswara Rao that Karnataka had agreed to allow patients from Kerala who were not infected with Covid-19 to avail of medical services in Mangaluru. 

However, there is a set of conditions that the patients should satisfy if they seek to do so.

  • Only patients who require critical and intensive care, also termed medical emergencies, will be allowed into Karnataka via Talapady. 
  • The patients should be accompanied by just one attendant and the government ambulance that is transporting them should be sanitised according to Ministry of Health guidelines. 
  • The patient should also carry a certificate from a doctor that states they cannot be treated in any of the hospitals at Kasargod, Kannur or Kozhikode in Kerala, which are either close to or fall on the Karnataka border. 
  • The doctor issuing the certificate should also certify that the patient does not show any symptoms of Covid-19.
  • The patients must indicate what hospital they are getting into and this will be inspected by the Karnataka medical team at the border. 

Also Read: Is there a risk of Modi govt using Covid-19 to curb media and freedoms or is it necessary?


‘Opening just Talapady’

While Kerala is led by a Left Democratic Front under Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Karnataka is under BJP rule, with B.S. Yediyurappa as Chief Minister.

The Karnataka Chief Minister’s Office stated Tuesday that the decision to seal the borders was taken to ensure the safety of local residents. Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa said he decided to seal the borders on the advice of medical experts, saying Kasargod has a large number of Covid-19 patients. According to Kerala government figures from Monday evening, Kasargod has the bulk of the state’s Covid-19 patients.

“We will not open all the borders, but just Talapady based on the meeting of the chief secretaries of both states. We will adhere to the terms of agreement,” the office said. 

Kerala, meanwhile, welcomed the decision. “It has been our longstanding request that Karnataka open the borders on humanitarian grounds. There are several patients form Kasargod who have been undergoing treatment at Karnataka’s Mangaluru and Manipal for several years,” said an official from the Kerala Chief Minister’s Office. 

“The proximity of good hospitals to Kasargod was why we made this demand. We are happy with this decision.” 


Also Read: Delhi to Kerala — State response to Covid-19 makes it clear India needs a new health policy


The Supreme Court weighs in

Kerala and Karnataka have 17 arterial roads connecting them. Since the 21-day national lockdown was announced last month, Karnataka erected mud embankments on all roads, except for NH66, connecting Kasargod and Mangaluru via Talapady, which was kept open to allow essential services. 

The Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association then approached the Kerala High Court, seeking the opening of the road borders. 

Allowing this petition, the high court on 1 April directed the central government to remove the border blockades, holding that denial of access to health services was an infringement of right to life under Article 21. It also affected the right to freedom of movement under Article 19(1)(d) of the Constitution, the court said. 

Karnataka then moved the Supreme Court against the Kerala High Court order, saying the opening of borders would lead to a law and order situation as the local population was opposing the entry of people from Kasargod district, “which has a high number of Covid-19 cases”.

In response, the Kerala government told the Supreme Court that eight people had died because of the blockade, saying it had also hampered the movement of essential commodities through these roads. 

During the hearing Friday, the court urged the two states to amicably resolve their issues, and not confront each other in the midst of an unprecedented public health crisis. 


Also Read: How Bhilwara is dealing with its coronavirus problem — Full details of the district’s plan


 

Subscribe to our channels on YouTube, Telegram & WhatsApp

Support Our Journalism

India needs fair, non-hyphenated and questioning journalism, packed with on-ground reporting. ThePrint – with exceptional reporters, columnists and editors – is doing just that.

Sustaining this needs support from wonderful readers like you.

Whether you live in India or overseas, you can take a paid subscription by clicking here.

Support Our Journalism

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Most Popular