The Delhi High Court on Friday directed all hospitals and nursing facilities in the Capital to approach the nodal officer with requests for oxygen supply.
The bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli was hearing pleas demanding oxygen supply from two hospitals, Bram Healthcare and Batra Hospital. The court heard related petitions from Max Hospitals and Saroj Super Specialty Hospital in Delhi’s Rohini district the day before.
The administration has notified a host of refilling centres and named nodal officials, according to senior lawyer Rahul Mehra, who represents the Delhi government. He went on to say that the Capital had got 350 metric tonnes, which was the most so far.
The Centre’s Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said, “There is a structure in operation.” “The Delhi government and the central unit both have a nodal officer. They have a conversation. Both chief ministers have been instructed by the prime minister not to obstruct the free flow of oxygen.
A few more officials will be appointed to the control room, according to the central government’s lawyer. States have also been asked to ensure that the names and contact information for their nodal officers are shared with hospitals, according to Mehta.
The court was also told of the distribution of oxygen by the Delhi government. “We got 345 to 350 metric tonnes against 480 metric tonnes (and 30 more)…we have a 100-tonne deficit,” he said. “Every day, we add another 100 metric tonnes to the pile.
The lawyer for the Delhi government also said that several hospitals in the city were being pressured to turn away patients. “There is another issue; hospitals across Delhi are not accepting new admissions,” Mehra said, according to Live Law. “As a result, even beds that are available are unavailable.
The court noted that the Centre had promised 480 metric tonnes to Delhi, but deliveries had yet to come. The High Court also emphasised that the shortfall persists despite allocations from Roorkee in Uttarakhand and Durgapur in West Bengal.
The Delhi High Court has requested details on the installation of oxygen generators, emphasising the importance of covering all aspects and submitting compliances in a tabulated format.
