New Delhi: The Supreme Court directed the Centre to ensure the deficit in oxygen supply to Delhi is met by the midnight of May 3, according to its order uploaded on Sunday.
This comes after at least five hospitals sent distress messages about their dwindling stocks and a day after 12 people died at a private hospital when their oxygen support dried up.
The court also asked the Centre to “immediately” create buffer stocks of medical oxygen to address any future shortage. It also urged the Centre and states “to consider imposing a lockdown to curb the virus in the second wave in the interest of public welfare”.
Delhi received the most amount of medical oxygen in a day so far with 454 MT on Saturday, which came after the Delhi High Court threatened to initiate contempt proceedings against Union government officials. The apex court’s directions now mean Delhi will need to be supplied with 700MT of liquid medical oxygen by the May 3 deadline.
