People are dying: HC slams Centre over oxygen shortage

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday directed the Union Government to submit by Wednesday whether it can ad hoc increase the quota of oxygen to the state.

The counsel representing the Centre, however, said a decision can be taken only after consultation, as there was more than one ministry involved. “Keep aside your process, people are dying. When will you increase the quota,” a special bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Aravind Kumar asked the Union government.

“We are putting the central government on notice that the prayer for issuing directions for increasing the quota will have to be considered tomorrow (May 5) at 10.30 am,” it said.

The state government had submitted that while the quota was increased from 802 tonnes to 865 tonnes, the actual requirement, as on May 5, stands at 1,792 tonnes per day.

The special bench advanced the hearing of Covid-19 matters by a day after noticing media reports about acute shortage in oxygen supply.

Read | You can put your head in sand like an ostrich, we will not: Delhi HC to Centre on oxygen crisis

Advocate General Prabhuling K Navadgi submitted that assuming that 17 per cent of the active cases will require oxygenated beds and 3 per cent will require ICU beds, the number of active cases may reach 3.95 lakh and thus, the requirement is likely to go up to 1,792 tonnes by May 5, 2021. He said that through a letter dated April 30, the state has informed the Union Commerce Secretary that it would require at least 1,162 tonnes oxygen supply per day.

Meanwhile, it was submitted across the Bar that the allocation of oxygen by the Centre was discriminatory. They said some states with less number of cases have been allocated more quota than Karnataka. The bench asked the Centre if there was any justification, and asked the advocates to place on record data on positive cases, active cases and quota of oxygen allotted to each state.

Remdesivir requirement

The state informed the high court that it has placed a request for 4-5 lakh remdesivir injection vials for the period from May 1 to May 15. As projected, if the cases go up to 4,47,000 per day by May 10, the daily requirement will be 44,500 vials. According to the state government, the Centre has allotted 3,01,300 vials for the period between April 21 and May 9.