Bombay HC had asked in a PIL hearing how actors and MLAs appeared to have access to medicines in short supply
Actor Sonu Sood on Tuesday filed a plea before the Bombay High Court and denied all allegations of hoarding or distributing COVID-19 medicines. The application was filed seeking permission to intervene in a public interest litigation filed by advocate Sneha Marjadi and activist Nilesh Navlakha concerning COVID-19 management by the State and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Previously, the court had asked how actors and MLAs had access to medicines that seemed to be in short supply.
Mr. Sood in the affidavit states that he had formed an NGO — Sood Charity Foundation — to help doctors, health workers, migrant workers, poor and needy with free meals, medicines and hospital beds, etc. He went on to state that he had provided free lodging and boarding facilities at his hotel in Juhu for doctors, nurses and health workers.
Mr. Sood states that he started ‘Shakti Anandanam’ to provide free meals to 45,000 people per day during the first wave of the pandemic. He also went on to state that he had coordinated with various State governments and other authorities in relief work, and coordinated to help migrant workers get back home. Mr. Sood also claimed that he had sought to create opportunities to provide 3 lakh jobs.
During the second wave, Mr. Sood said he was contacted through social media by people who were not able to get Remdesivir and Tocilizumab, medicines used in treating COVID-19. He then connected people in need with the places where these medicines were available.
The plea states: “In first stage, he would request the patients to furnish the details of the patients along with the copy of the patient’s aadhaar card, covid report, doctor’s prescription etc. After receiving the documents, he would get the same verified by directly contacting the hospital authority where the patient was admitted. Then he or his volunteers would verify the availability in the nearest pharmacy or hospital. If the drug was still not available, he would contact the concerned district magistrates, members of parliament, chief medical officers of the area as may be required. He would also connect with other hospitals and pharmacies to find out the availability of the said medicines. He would then share the information of the patient with the concerned authority so that they can help the patient directly.” The plea also says: “If the patient would not be able to bear the cost he would pay for the same. He has also requested manufacture[r]s to provide requisite medicines to needy patients through various hospitals and pharmacies.”
Mr. Sood, the plea states, “denied all allegations of purchasing, stocking, storing, dealing, distributing and supplying medicines in any manner”.
