The Delhi High Court on Wednesday came down heavily on the Union government over the issue of oxygen scarcity in several hospitals in the national capital amid an alarming surge in COVID-19 cases.
A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said the responsibility to ensure oxygen supply is squarely on Central government's shoulders and if necessary, entire supply of oxygen to industries including steel and petroleum can be diverted for medical usage.
The steel and petrochemical industries are oxygen guzzlers and diverting oxygen from there can meet hospitals requirements, the court observed.
The high court rapped the Centre for its callous behaviour towards the issue and asked if human lives are not that important.
“Why is the Centre not waking up to gravity of situation? We are shocked and dismayed to see that hospitals are running out of oxygen but steel plants running,” the court said, adding that its concern is not just for Delhi.
“If Tatas can divert oxygen they are generating for their steel plants to medical use, why can't others? This is height of greed,” the court said.
The high court was conducting an urgent hearing on a plea filed by Balaji Medical and Research Centre, which owns and runs various hospitals in the name of Max, stating that if supply of oxygen is not replenished on an immediate basis, the lives of the patients who are critical and on oxygen support will be endangered.
The court's scathing remarks came even as the political blame game continues over the oxygen supply in Delhi and the neighbouring states.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia accused the Haryana government on Wednesday of blocking medical oxygen supply to Delhi, where several hospitals scrambled to save lives of coronavirus patients amid its shortage for the second consecutive day.
Sisodia said a similar incident occurred in Uttar Pradesh a day ago and it led to a crisis in some hospitals, adding the oxygen supply had been restored now. He demanded that states should get their allotted share of oxygen without others interfering into it.
Haryana has rejected these allegations. Earlier in the day, Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij alleged that a tanker carrying medical oxygen for COVID patients in hospitals, which was going from Panipat to Faridabad, was "looted" by the Delhi government and said all oxygen tankers will now move with police escort.
(With PTI inputs)
