New Delhi, September 07: A bench headed by Justices Ashok Bhushan, R Subhash Reddy and M R Shah while hearing a PIL filed by one Gursimran Singh Narula, who has sought directions to the Centre to forthwith ban the installation, production and advertisement of disinfection tunnels involving spraying or fumigation of chemical disinfectants on humans but was informed by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that the Health Ministry has not issued any advisory or guideline on use of ultraviolet lights for disinfection of humans for COVID-19 management.
He said that spraying of any chemical disinfectant is also physically and psychologically harmful for humans. The bench then asked the SG that when the use of disinfectant tunnels is bad then why the Centre was not banning it.
Mehta said that appropriate directions will be issued in this regard.
The Centre had said that even ‘National Guidelines for infection Prevention and Control in Healthcare Facilities’ enumerated that disinfectant fogging is not recommended for routine patient care areas. “It was also prescribed that fumigation and fogging have no role in the operation theatre because fumigation with formalin is hazardous to persons and can also harm sensitive equipment.
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