The Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission (MPHRC) has sought the state's chief secretary's response over reports that some COVID-19 positive IAS officers and health department staffers delayed their hospitalization by up to two days, according to an official letter.

In the letter written on Tuesday to Chief Secretary Iqbal Singh Bains, the Commission said it took cognisance of the matter on the basis of a news report and facts provided by Congress MP Vivek Tankha through his tweets.

The chief secretary has been asked to file his response to the Commission by 5 PM Thursday.

The news report claimed that senior IAS officer Pallavi Jain Govil, the Principal Secretary (Health), and other staff of the health department got themselves admitted to hospital after a lot of bureaucratic and administrative interventions, and two days after they were tested positive for the deadly coronavirus.

Tankha told PTI, 'I requested the commission on the strength of my tweets and news reports that a serious situation has arisen in Madhya Pradesh where because of callousness of the health department, the lives of people within the and outside the department are in danger.

There is exponential spread of coronavirus in the health department because of wanton disregard of government guidelines which must necessarily be followed by all, he said, adding that it 'shows administration in poor light'.

The chief secretary has been asked by the Commission to give response on points including as to when the officers mentioned in the news reports were tested positive and as to why they were not kept in an isolation ward of the hospital.

The Commission has also asked for details of the officers responsible for not following the government guidelines on ensuring immediate admission of coronavirus positive bureaucrats to hospital.

'It shows a callous attitude by senior IAS officer Govil, who is incharge of the health department and other staff under her. Why did she not get herself admitted to hospital after her test reports confirmed coronavirus?,' asked Ajay Dubey, a social activist.