Delhi HC directs Centre to ensure urgent supply of oxygen to six Max hospitals

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The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the Centre to ensure an urgent supply of oxygen at six Max hospitals, according to Bar and Bench, an online portal for legal news. The Delhi High Court was hearing an urgent application regarding the oxygen shortage at Max Hospital.

“We direct Centre to protect the right to life of citizens who are seriously ill and require medical oxygen and to supply the same by whatever means it is required, ” the high court said.

The court was hearing a plea filed by Balaji Medical and Research Centre, which owns the hospital chain. The plea said 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 Centre assured the court that there will be unobstructed supply of oxygen to Delhi. “Centre has assured that there will be an unobstructed supply of oxygen to Delhi. We hope that the requirements of hospitals and oxygen supply will continue to COVID patients and others until we take up the matter tomorrow,” the court said. The court will take up the matter on Thursday at 3:00 PM.

Earlier in the day, several hospitals in the national capital alleged that the Haryana government was not allowing vendors to supply oxygen to them and there is only limited stock left as hundreds of coronavirus patients battled for their life in these healthcare facilities.

The health infrastructure in the national capital has taken a beating as covid cases mount. Shortage of oxygen and hospital beds have been a challenge for most hospitals.

With several private and city government hospitals here running low on medical oxygen for COVID-19 patients, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday announced that the Centre has enhanced the national capital’s oxygen quota.

“Central govt has increased Delhi’s quota of oxygen. We r very grateful to centre for this (sic),” Kejriwal tweeted.

Hours before this announcement, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had alleged in a press briefing that an official of the Haryana government stopped oxygen supply to Delhi from a plant in Faridabad.

Max Hospital on Wednesday wrote to Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain on the shortage of oxygen supply at Max Hospital Shalimar Bagh. The hospital said the oxygen tanker meant for Max was diverted to AIIMS which led to the hospital’s oxygen tanks running dry.