HC tells Centre to ensure oxygen supply to Delhi hospitals

The Delhi High Court Thursday said the Covid-19 situation in the national capital has turned “precarious” with many hospitals running out of oxygen as it directed the Centre to ensure the gas is supplied to the city as per the planned allocation and without any hindrances.

"We all know that this country is being run by god," an anguish bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said while emphasising that all measures should be taken for removing obstructions in the transportation of oxygen.

If the government wants it can do anything and can even make “heaven meet earth,” it said.

The High Court directed all the authorities concerned, which are bound by the order passed under the Disaster Management Act, to ensure strict compliance of the Centre’s direction that there shall be no restriction on inter-state and intra-state movement of persons and goods, including medical oxygen.

The bench made it clear that non-compliance of the order will be viewed seriously since it is going to result in grave loss of lives and will invite criminal action.

Also read: Covid-19: Delhi hospitals send out SOS calls for oxygen

“We also direct all the authorities concerned who are bound by the order passed under the Disaster Management Act to ensure strict compliance.

“We also direct the Central Government to ensure allocation of oxygen takes place as planned and transportation of the tankers takes place unhindered,” the bench said and added that they shudder to think what will be the condition in other states.

It also directed that adequate security be provided to lorries transporting oxygen so that they move without obstructions and dedicated corridors be made for transportation of oxygen to hospitals.

The Centre informed that an order has been issued to all the states and union territories to ensure that no restriction shall be imposed on the movement of medical oxygen between the states.

The Delhi government claimed the amount of oxygen that was to come here from Panipat in Haryana was not being allowed to be picked up by the local police there.