SC directs union heath secy to facilitate movement of people for treatment between Karnataka, Kerala

New Delhi [India], April 3 : The Supreme Court on Friday directed the union health secretary to have a meeting with the chief secretaries of Karnataka and Kerala to facilitate the movement of people for medical treatments in wake of coronavirus spread.

A bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and Deepak Gupta favoured an amicable resolution of the dispute and asked the union health secretary to also hold a meeting with health secretaries of both the states.

No state should precipitate the matter at this juncture, the apex court said while issuing notices in the matter and posting it to April 7 for further hearing.

The top court was hearing an appeal filed by the Karnataka government against the Kerala High Court order directing removal of border blockade to allow passage for patients from Kasargod district in Kerala seeking medical services in Mangaluru.

Karnataka government had challenged the order of opening the border saying that it would hamper the state's effort to contain the COVID-19 since Kasargod is a hotspot for coronavirus.

( With inputs from ANI )