Reacting to the Centre’s slumber on the oxygen, essential drugs, and vaccination crisis in the country, the Supreme Court sent a notice to the government demanding for a “national plan” involving the major issues of the hour as India registers the highest number of covid 19 cases in the world crossing 3.14 lakh infections.
Chief Justice of India SA Bobde said, “We want to see the national plan on this issue.” The court will hear the matter tomorrow.
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The top court’s involvement in the issue comes after 6 High Courts of the country are dealing with petitions regarding the oxygen supply shortage, lack of hospital beds and unavailability of Remdesivir, an essential anti-viral drug in the treatment of covid-19.
“We want to know. In regard to the four issues of supply of oxygen, supply of essential drugs, method and manner of vaccination and we want to keep the power to declare lockout with the states,” said the CJI.
He added, “We wish to take suo moto cognizance of certain issues we find in six High Courts – Delhi, Bombay, Sikkim, Madhya Pradesh, Calcutta and Allahabad. Now they are exercising their jurisdiction in their best interest. But what is happening is some kind of confusion and diversion of resources.”
Another case filed by Vedanta requesting the court for approval to reopen its copper plant situated in Tamil Nadu to begin production of oxygen in the factory was also heard by the SC. The Chief Justice said during the hearing that the “present situation is like a national emergency.”
For the past 3 days, the Delhi High Court has been receiving emergency requests to avail oxygen, essential drugs and other commodities required in the battle against covid-19 from the city government and several other hospitals of Delhi as the city faces a deadly shortage of them all.
The Delhi High Court was hearing 2 emergency meetings yesterday that came to an end late last night following the release of an oxygen tanker for a Max Group’s hospital. The group owning the biggest chain of hospitals in the city had sought the court’s help after it was almost running out of oxygen to supply to the critical covid patients.
Listening to the pleas and witnessing the grave situation, the High Court expressed “shock and dismay” over the Centre’s mismanagement of the oxygen shortage. It further ordered the central government to “beg, borrow or steal” but make sure that patients and hospitals receive the oxygen they need so direly.
“The citizen can only fall back on the state. It is the responsibility of the government. Beg… borrow… or steal, it is your job,” said the court.
“How is the government so oblivious of the reality on the ground? You cannot have people die because of no oxygen. You take your own sweet time, and people die,” the court lashed out at the Centre.
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With the healthcare sector falling apart due to the lack of resources to treat patients, the Centre and states have got into arguments and debates blaming each other for the current situation.
India continues to remain in the world’s limelight as it recorded the biggest daily surge of the globe with 3,14,835 new cases within 24 hours. On Thursday, it registered 2,104 fatalities.
