New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Tuesday said sufficient oxygen was not being supplied to COVID-19 patients in the national capital and asked the Centre if it can be diverted from industries which can wait for now.
“Industries can wait. Patients cannot. Human lives are at stake,” a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said to the central government.
The bench said it has heard that doctors at Ganga Ram Hospital were being forced to reduce oxygen being given to COVID-19 patients admitted there as there was scarcity of oxygen.
“Which are these industries whose supplies of oxygen cannot be curtailed,” the court asked central government standing counsel Monika Arora and asked her to take instructions on what all can be done to augment the oxygen supply to COVID-19 patients.
With the direction, the court said it will hear the matter post lunch.
The direction came during hearing of a disposed of petition, related to COVID-19 tests, that the high court revived on April 19 by noting that the virus has raised its “ugly head” once again and the pandemic is raging with much greater intensity and “it is evident that the healthcare infrastructure is at the stage of imminent collapse”.
Delhi Police creates green corridor for tankers carrying oxygen to COVID-19 hospital
The Delhi Police created a green corridor for two tankers carrying 19,500 litres of liquid oxygen from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana borders to a COVID-19 hospital in outer Delhi’s Paschim Vihar, officials said on Tuesday.
The tankers had to urgently reach Sri Action Balaji Hospital, where oxygen levels had reached a critical point, but were stuck in a traffic jam, they said.
The police received information around 11.30 pm on Monday and immediately teams were rushed to ensure smooth passage for the containers, the official said.
“A dedicated corridor was provided by Outer district police for two oxygen tankers carrying 19,500 litres of liquid oxygen from the UP and Haryana borders. The containers had to reach all-COVID Action Balaji Hospital. The two tankers were escorted by Delhi police vehicles,” said Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) Sudhanshu Dhama.
Meanwhile, 25 oxygen cylinders were arranged through the cooperation of medical superintendents of Sanjay Gandhi, Bhagwan Mahavir, Maharaja Agrasen and Jaipur Golden hospitals, he said.
Dr. Sunil Sumbil, medical superintendent of Sri Balaji Action Hospital thanked the Delhi Police for its efforts.
“The oxygen levels at our facility had reached a critical point. The vehicles carrying liquid oxygen could not reach on time as they were stuck in a traffic jam. We immediately informed the police and they rushed their teams. They created a green corridor and both vehicles reached on time,” he said.
If the tankers had not reached in time, the lives of COVID-19 patients would have been in danger, he said.
