TheDelhi High Court on Saturday rapped the Centre over the shortage of medicaloxygen in the national capital amid the raging second wave of the Covid-19pandemic and directed it to arrange the life-saving gas "by whatevermeans", saying "water has gone above the head, arrange everythingnow".
Thecourt made the observation while hearing the petitions on how the healthinfrastructure is trying to cope with the deadly second wave of the pandemic.
Consideringthe death of eight Covid patients, including a doctor, at Delhi's BatraHospital due to the shortage of oxygen earlier in the day, the high court said:"Water has gone above the head. You have to arrange everything now. Youhave made the allocations. You have to fulfil them. Eight lives have been lost.We can't shut our eyes to it."
Thecourt had earlier recorded the submissions made regarding the tragic incidentat the Batra Hospital in the Mehrauli area of the national capital that wasreported at around 12.45 p.m. on Saturday.
Thiswas the second time in a week that the hospital ran out of medical oxygen. OnApril 24, the hospital had received a last-minute supply which arrived minutesafter its oxygen reserves ran out.
Thehigh court further directed the Centre to ensure that Delhi receives 490 MToxygen supply on Saturday by "whatever means".
"Wedirect the Centre to ensure that Delhi receives its 490 MT oxygen supply todayby whatever means. Delhi is not an industrial state... It doesn't havecryogenic tankers," the high court said.
"Eightpeople have died... Will we shut our eyes to people dying in Delhi," thecourt asked.
Thecourt further directed the Centre to submit its explanation by Monday if itfails to supply medical oxygen to Delhi hospitals.
"We'llsee your explanation on Monday if you can't supply oxygen," it said.
Thecourt also said that it is the responsibility of the Central government toarrange oxygen tankers as well.
"Theallocation to Delhi has been in force from April 20 and not for a single dayDelhi has received the allocated supply," the court noted.