The Delhi High Court on Friday asked hospitals and nursing homes to approach the nodal officer of the AAP government first to meet the requirement of medical oxygen to treat seriously ill Covid-19 patients.
“We would expect all hospitals in the NCT of Delhi to approach the nodal officer Mr Udit Prakash and such other officers... in the first instance for the purpose of meeting their requirement of oxygen,” a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said.
The bench said if the requirements are not met even after contacting the nodal officer, the hospitals shall contact senior advocate Rahul Mehra and lawyer Satyakam, before approaching the court. The court was hearing two separate pleas by two private hospitals which sought immediate supply of oxygen.
During the hearing, the bench noted that an assurance was given to it by the Centre that 480 metric tonnes (MT) of oxygen would be supplied to Delhi daily, but the same has "not fructified" mainly for the reason that some of the suppliers are located in West Bengal and Odisha. "Whatever was allocated should be there," the court observed.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that a virtual control room, set up in 2020 to communicate with the nodal officers of the states and monitor the situation, has been strengthened by adding more senior officers.
The bench also asked the Delhi Chief Secretary to examine the entire allocation plan for oxygen and make a suggestion and place it before the Centre and the committee without any delay.
(Published 23 April 2021, 17:48 IST)
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