India, Oct. 14 -- The Supreme Court on Monday summoned senior bureaucrats of 28 states and union territories for showing casual indifference to a court order requiring them to frame guidelines for treatment of patients admitted in ICU and CCU across all hospitals by October 5.

With the deadline having expired and several states found to have either not filed any response or having belatedly submitted report, a bench of justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and N Kotiswar Singh said, "It is now time for the court to take serious cognisance of such casualness shown by states."

The bench issued notice to the additional chief secretary or the senior most officer handling the Health portfolio in the defaulting states and directed them to remain pers...