Sakshi Chhabra
Expressing strong displeasure over the death of COVID-19 patients due to lack of oxygen supply, the Allahabad High Court on held the authorities responsible for procurement and supply of the gas are committing criminal acts.
A division bench of Justices Siddhartha Verma and Ajit Kumar observed, “We are at pain in observing that death of Covid patients just for non-supplying of oxygen to the hospitals is a criminal act and not less than a genocide by those who have been entrusted the task to ensure continuous procurement and supply chain of the liquid medical oxygen.”
This case was highlighted after the media reports published the deaths of COVID-19 patients due to a shortage of liquid oxygen in the districts of Meerut and Lucknow.
The bench further stated that a huge number of people had died due to lack of oxygen supply and people are begging for oxygen beds in the hospitals in order to save the lives of their loved ones.
The news that the court was referring to was about the five patients who died in the ICU of a new trauma centre of Medical college in Meerut.
The court ordered the District Magistrates of Lucknow and Meerut stating, “Normally, we would have not directed the State and district administration to enquire into such news that has been viral on social media but since the Advocates who were appearing in this PIL supported such news and even submitted that more or fewer situations in other districts of State are the same, we find it necessary to direct for immediate remedial measures to be taken by the Government.”
Furthermore, the AAG assured that proper allocation of the articles like oxygen cylinders, oximeter and Remdesivir injections confiscated by the police in black-marketing cases will be done.
The Allahabad High Court in its previous order had strongly also stated that there should be enough supply of oxygen at all the hospitals so that no one dies due to oxygen shortage.