Supreme Court wants national plan on COVID-19 situation, including on oxygen supply

As the country grapples with the current wave of COVID19 pandemic the Supreme Court Thursday told the Centre that it wants a ldquonational planrdquo on issues including supply of oxygen and essential drugs for treatment of patients infected with the virusTaking suo motu cognisance of the prevailing grim situation across the country a bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde said it would also consider the matter pertaining to the method and manner of COVID19 vaccination in the countryThe bench also comprising Justices L N Rao and S R Bhat said it would examine the aspect relating to judicial power of the high courts to declare lockdown amid the pandemic It further said that at least six high courts are hearing COVID19 related matters leading to confusion and diversion of resources based on different prioritiesThe apex court appointed senior advocate Harish Salve as an amicus curiae to assist it in the suo motu proceedings The bench issued notice to the Centre and said it would hear the matter on Friday ldquoWe as a bench and as a court wish to take suo motu cognisance of certain issuesrdquo the bench told Solicitor General Tushar MehtaThe top court said at least six high courts Delhi Bombay Sikkim Madhya Pradesh Calcutta and Allahabad are dealing with issues pertaining to the prevailing situation It said these high courts are exercising their jurisdictions in bona fide and in the best interest ldquoWhat is happening is that it is creating some kind of confusion and diversion of resourcesrdquo the bench observedldquoOne high court thinks there is priority for one group while the other thinks there is priority for others We want to know with regard to four issues supply of oxygen supply of essential drugs method and manner of vaccination We want to keep the power to declare lockdown to the State and this should not be by judicial decisionrdquo the bench saidldquoWe want to issue notice on these four issuesrdquo it said adding ldquoWe want to see a national plan on these four issuesrdquo As the apex court said it would issue notice to the Centre and hear the matter on Friday Mehta asked the bench whether the government would respond to the high courts on the COVID19 issues pending thereThe top court said the Centre may present the national plan to the high courts The bench also observed that it might withdraw certain issues pending before the high court and deal with them Mehta said he would intimate the high courts that the apex court has taken suo motu cognisance on the issueIndia registered over 314 lakh new coronavirus cases in a day the highestever singleday count recorded in any country taking the total tally of COVID19 cases in the country to 15930965According to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday a total of 314835 fresh infections were registered in a span of 24 hours while the death toll increased to 184657 with a record 2104 new fatalitiesIssuing unusually strong strictures on the Modi government and private industries the Delhi High Court had on Wednesday ordered the Centre to forthwith provide oxygen by whatever means to hospitals here facing shortage of the gas in treating serious COVID19 patients observing it ldquoseems human life is not important for the staterdquoYou are not exploring all avenues to augment oxygen supply Beg borrow or steal the high court had told the Centre and asked why it was not waking up to the gravity of the emergency situation It also warned that certainly all hell will break loose with the stoppage of medical oxygen to the hospitalsFact of the matter is there is an oxygen shortage It is there for us to see We cannot shut our eyes to itrdquo the high court had said during an extraordinary hearing of a plea on the matter on a public holiday and added that the government cannot say it cannot provide more oxygen and people can be left to die on roadsThe Central government represented by the Solicitor General had thereafter assured the high court that it will facilitate supply of the increased allocation of 480 metric tonnes of oxygen to Delhi and the same will reach the national capital without any obstructionsThe high court was conducting an urgent hearing on a public holiday 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 endangeredThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever