New Delhi: The Delhi High Court slammed the center on Saturday over the shortage of medical oxygen in the national capital amid the raging second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and aimed at arranging the life-saving gas “in whatever way” and saying “water has gone above the head, now arrange everything”.
The court made the remark while hearing the petitions on how the health infrastructure is trying to deal with the deadly second wave of the pandemic.
Consideration of the death of eight Covid patients, including a doctor, at Batra Hospital in Delhi due to lack of oxygen earlier in the day, the high court said: ‘Water went above the head. You have to arrange everything now. You did the awards. You have to fulfill it. Eight lives were lost. We can not close our eyes to it. ”
The court had earlier recorded the arguments regarding the tragic incident at Batra Hospital in the Mehrauli area of the national capital which took place on Saturday around 12.45pm.
It was the second time in a week that the medical oxygen ran out at the hospital. On April 24, the hospital received at the last minute a supply that arrived minutes after the oxygen reserves were running out.
The Supreme Court further ordered the center to ensure that Delhi gets 490 MT of oxygen supply on Saturday in a way that means whatever.
‘We recommend the center to ensure that Delhi receives its 490 MT oxygen supply today, in whatever way. “Delhi is not an industrial state … It does not have cryogenic tankers,” the Supreme Court said.
“Eight people are dead … Shall we close our eyes to people dying in Delhi,” the court asked.
The court further ordered the center to submit its statement by Monday if it does not deliver medical oxygen to Delhi hospitals.
“We will see your explanation on Monday if you can not provide oxygen,” he said.
The court also said that it is the central government’s responsibility to arrange oxygen tanks as well.
“The allocation to Delhi is effective from April 20 and not one day has Delhi received the allocated stock,” the court noted.
Source: Telangana Today