Create portal for people wishing to donate equipment from abroad for COVID patients: Delhi HC

NEW DELHI:  The Delhi High Court Thursday asked the Delhi government to create a portal for people who wish to donate medical equipment from abroad for COVID-19 patients. The court was informed by various counsels that there are NRIs who are ready to assist India in its fight against COVID-19 by gifting medical equipment like oxygen concentrators but they do not know where to send it.

They said there is no mechanism by which Delhi government can accept such imports of medical equipments. A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli, which heard for six hours the matter on the oxygen crisis and other issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic which the national capital is presently grappling with, asked the Delhi government to also file a status report on the action taken by Friday.

‘Let the Delhi government create a portal for this purpose so that persons sitting abroad and desirous of making imports of equipments to India are in a position to give all details and ship in the name of Delhi government. A status report be filed in this regard by tomorrow,’ the bench said.

The court was informed by the Centre’s counsel that there is a government order to all custom officers to clear all Covid-19 related imports, including Remdesivir medicines, medical oxygen concentrators. He also submitted that there is a nodal officer and a help desk is created by the Centre for easy clearance of all such equipments and medicines.

The court said the order needs publicity and asked the counsel to place it on record.It also directed the Centre to file a status report in a sealed cover by Friday with regard to import of COVID-19 treatment related equipments where the cargo is pending clearance.