New Delhi: The Delhi High Court raised questions on the Centre’s distribution policy on oxygen and vaccines and slammed the Center asking, “Will you ask patients to wait for oxygen?” When the Delhi government said it had recorded 32,000 cases in a single day yesterday, the High Court also raised questions on the Centre’s distribution policy on oxygen and vaccines.
The High Court told the Centre that not enough oxygen was being supplied to patients in Delhi hospitals and said in strong words that if medicines were not being sent to places that really needed them, “blood is on their hands”.
Another concern is that a vial of remdesivir, the antiviral drug, which has been proven to be effective in treating COVID-19 has been soaring up to rupees 25,000 in the black market and patients are suffering due to the scarcity of drugs, vaccines, and oxygen as well as hospital beds.
The Delhi High Court asked the Center to cut down on oxygen for industries such as petroleum and steel to ensure that there is enough oxygen to treat COVID-positive patients. The Delhi High Court said that economic interests could not override human lives or “we are heading for disaster”.
“Industries can wait. Patients cannot. Human lives are at stake,” a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said to the Central Government.
The Court also said to the Center, “Out of 130 crore, there are less than two crore official cases. Even if it’s five times, that means only 10 crore cases. We should protect the remaining people. At this rate, we might lose one crore people. We should act fast.”
“We are not here to run the government but you have to be sensitive to the situation.”
The Delhi government yesterday had alleged in court that it was falling short of oxygen for the coronavirus-positive patients because supplies were being diverted to “one of the largest states” of the country. The Delhi government did not mention names in a bid for diplomacy saying it could become political.
“If despite of having the medication, it is being sent to region A instead of region B which is in need of said medication, then be sure, blood is on their hands,” the Delhi High Court said.
The judges also said that they had heard that doctors at Ganga Ram Hospital were being forced to reduce oxygen being given to COVID positive patients because of the scarcity.
When the Centre said oxygen had been banned for industrial use from April 22 (Thursday), the High Court asked: “Why not do it today itself? Why wait for April 22? Lives are at stake. Are you going to tell patients to wait till April 22 for oxygen?”
The Centre told the High Court that only three percent of patients needed ICU beds and 24 litres of oxygen was needed for ICU patients, 10 litres for non-ICU beds.
“If Delhi Government can’t manage the oxygen, they should give the health system to the Center. We will manage,” the central government striking back at the Delhi government in defense.
The Union Health Ministry said, “”80 per cent cases are mild while 17 per cent are moderate. Only three percent need ICU care.” It also said 378 MT of oxygen had been given to Delhi while its government had asked for 700 MT.
The High Court was hearing a petition it had earlier disposed of but revived yesterday, with the judges noting the coronavirus had raised its “ugly head” once again, that the second wave of the pandemic was surging with far greater intensity and that “it is evident that the healthcare infrastructure is at the stage of imminent collapse”
Also Read: Every 5th person in India has Coronavirus per official data