Plea in SC Seeks Issuance of Directions to UOI to Get Full Disclosure of Information Related to COVID-19 from China

Case Name: Doctors for you vs. Union of India & Ors.

The Present writ petition has been preferred by the Petitioner before the Hon’ble Court for seeking the issuance of appropriate writ directing the Union of India to make a representation to the People’s Republic of China and WHO to make available all the relevant information related to the novel Corona Virus. Getting the information is a question of life and death.

The plea states that it is necessary to study the Ground Zero (Place from where virus originated) for development of a vaccine by Indian Medical Scientists. This knowledge is necessary to develop an effective vaccine for Corona Virus including its various mutations. It is also necessary to study as to how the virus jumped species and affected human population. The study of ground zero is also imperative to understand the cause of the spread of the virus and develop effective ways to prevent the spread of similar diseases in the future.

While narrating the sequence of events that led the outbreak of Coronavirus across the world, petitioner highlights that while in China, the virus only hit one city, after which it was successfully contained, other countries struggled. Furthermore, the plea states that China is under a moral obligation to provide assistance under “Guidance for managing ethical issues in infectious diseases” which requires “rapid data sharing of information related to the novel Corona Virus”.

The purpose of the petition is not to indulge or to encourage blame game but to work with the world community and WHO for finding an effective solution to this pandemic.

By Priyanka of SPPU