New Delhi: While hearing an urgent application regarding the oxygen shortage at Max Hospital, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday questioned why the Central government is not waking to reality and asked the Centre to immediately stop the supply of oxygen for industrial purposes.
"How is this that the govt is so oblivious to the ground reality? We can't have people dying? Yesterday, we were told you were trying to import. What happened to that," the bench asked,
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This is an emergency of such grave nature, the high court added.
"Industry can wait for several days for oxygen supply but here the current situation is very delicate and sensitive," the court said.
Delhi High Court has directed the Centre to immediately takeover production of oxygen from steel plant and petroleum plant to supply for medical use.
The court also directed the Centre to provide safe passage for the supply of oxygen from the place of production to the place of delivery.
Asking what the Centre is doing, the court said that its concern is not just for Delhi but all parts of the country.
Delhi High Court also noted that several people died due to no oxygen supply in a Nashik hospital on Wednesday.
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Max Hospitals in its petition has stated that its hospital at Patparganj, has currently only 3 hours of supply of oxygen and if oxygen runs out the life of 400 patients including 262 covid patients is under threat.
A number of the patients are critical and on ventilator support and ICU, the plea stated.
Meanwhile, SG Tushar Mehta representing the Centre told the court that the supply of oxygen is on its way and it will reach the hospital shortly.
"Oxygen has been delivered at one of the Max hospitals," he informed the court.
Delhi High Court said that it has full faith that the Centre will deliver oxygen.
"Patparganj hospital will get a supply of oxygen in 2 hours. But many other hospitals also facing a shortage. You (Centre) can pass an order as it is a national emergency, no industry will say no" the court added.
"For Max Hospital, Vaishali and Gurgaon, there is an oxygen capacity of only 8 hours, which won't last till the morning," said senior advocate Sandeep Sethi representing Max Hospital before Delhi High Court.
