The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has issued a notice to the government of Jammu and Kashmir to prepare a comprehensive policy for prevention, control and treatment of novel coronavirus in the Union territory.

The notice came in response to a PIL filed by a woman, a resident of Rawalpora in Srinagar, through her lawyers.A division bench,comprising Chief Justice Geeta Mittal and Justice Rajesh Bindal, asked the government to share the action-taken report it has filed with the counsel of the petitioner.The High Court was informed the report would be shared with it in the next hearing on March 17

Though the hearing on the matter was held through video camera, additional advocate general Shah Aamir appeared on behalf of the health and medical education department at the Srinagar wing of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.The PIL aims at seeking direction from the High Court for effective preventive measures by the government to combat the coronavirus epidemic and provide facilities for conducting tests and treatment free of cost.

The PIL also sought directions for setting up of a special screening system for identifying people infected with or suspected to have coronavirus at airports, bus and railway terminals across the Union territory,It also seeks establishment of special hospitals and isolated treatment centres managed by trained medical staff.

The PIL said the influx of tourists and repatriation of local residents from China and other affected regions is likely to keep the situation vulnerable in Jammu and Kashmir.The PIL also says the hygiene at hospitals and primary health care centres continues to remain, by and large,dismal.

It says the medical staff needs to be trained and equipped with the methods of preventive treatment and management of the epidemic, withspecial attention towards prophylactic measures.

It says the government is under obligation to develop infrastructure for keeping in readiness the personal protective equipment for the medical staff.