Lekha G
The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the Centre to submit its reply to the Delhi Government’s request for assistance of the Army to handle the Covid situation in Delhi.
The Delhi Government requested the Union Defence Minister for help of the Army to set up hospitals in Delhi with oxygenated and ICU beds to treat Covid patients as well as supply cryogenic tanker for oxygen.
“The issue of oxygen supply and distribution needs to be handled over to the Armed forces. Nobody else is able to handle it. It is just not happening”, an advocate addressed the Delhi High Court.
The Bench stated, “We direct the Centre to report instructions on the communication by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister to the Defence Minister”.
Further, the Counsel of the Rockland Hospital in Dwarka unable to manage the Covid situation told the Delhi High Court that, “Our owners are from Saudi Arabia, so they’re not able to manage things from there. But we are ready to hand over our keys to the District Magistrate. We have 77 beds, ventilators, everything. It can be taken over by the government”.
The hospitals in Delhi have been unable to provide required medical treatment to the Covid patients due to shortage of oxygen supply and have demanded 976 metric tonnes of oxygen from the Centre even after the daily quota of oxygen was raised from 490 MT to 590 MT.