Supreme Court On Third Wave Of COVID-19: Complete Vaccination And Create Oxygen Stock

Supreme Court On Third Wave Of COVID-19 stressed the need for completing vaccination for citizens above the age of 18 years and also stressed the need for creating a stock of oxygen for the impending third wave of COVID-19.

The Supreme Court flagged warnings about the third wave of COVID-19 on May 6. A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and M R Shah called upon the Centre to ensure that the country’s capital Delhi continues to get 700 Metric Tonnes of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO).

The current formula for supplying oxygen is based on the number of ICU and non-ICU beds in a hospital. The bench of Justices also explained that this current formula needs to have a relook.

Meanwhile, Solicitor General Tushar Metha who appeared for the Centre submitted that resources and supplies needed also had to be diverted from other states in order to meet the rising demands in Delhi. But the court said that it does not want to make the issue only Delhi-centric. “We are looking at it from everyone’s point of view,” they said.

The court bench said that they understand how lack of oxygen is not the reason for every death. “We understand everybody who dies is not dying due to lack of oxygen. But can it be denied that oxygen is not a critical component?” they said while hearing the plea by the Centre in the matter of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) supply.

Justice Chandrachud said that we may be able to handle the hit of the third wave better if we prepare from today. “Whatever stocks procured needs to be sent to hospitals. It’s not about allocating it to the state but also the logistics to see that it is distributed to hospitals,” the Justice said.

According to experts, the third wave of COVID-19 is “around the corner” for India. The third wave is also said to affect children below 18 years more as they would be the unvaccinated age groups.

Justice Chandrachud said that vaccination will have to be done for the above 18 years group at that time because adults are responsible for children. “When a child goes to a hospital, a mother and father will go too,” he said. The Justice said a plan for arrangements in an effective and scientific way is needed for this.

The court also called upon the Centre and states to make use of the doctors who have finished their medical course and are currently waiting for the NEET examination. The bench said that giving grace marks to these doctors on their exams would be a good incentive to prepare for the impending third wave.

Justice Chandrachud also emphasised how the current doctors are completely tired, fatigued, and worn out by now. “You can call them corona warriors, but they are humans,” he said.