Let’s try and not be a cry baby: Solicitor General Tushar Mehta

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta

Hearing a hospital's petition over shortage of oxygen for seriously-ill COVID-19 patients, the Delhi High Court on Saturday said if anyone obstructs oxygen supply, "we will not spare them". The system will "collapse" if the capital doesn't get 480 metric tonnes of oxygen, the Delhi government told the court. Several hospitals have already flagged the worrying shortage of medical oxygen as they are overwhelmed by the thousands of new daily cases. Big and small, several hospitals in the national capital have raised the issue in the past three days with the high court. The government also added that it received only 297 metric tonnes of the medical gas on Friday. The state government also sought a detailed affidavit from the Centre with clear details of oxygen allocation and supply schedule.

Hearing the Maharaja Agrasen Hospital's petition, the court asked the centre: "When will Delhi get 480 metric tonnes? Please tell us that." The Centre, in Saturday's hearing, had earlier put the blame back on the AAP government.

"States are arranging from tankers to everything. We are just assisting them. But in Delhi, everything is put on us. Delhi officials have to do their job," the Centre said. "I know my responsibility. I know many things but not saying anything. Let's try and not be a cry baby," Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said in response to Delhi government lawyer Rahul Mehra's complaint that the Centre was not complying with the guidelines for oxygen allocation.

Will ‘hang' anyone who obstructs oxygen supply: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court on Saturday asked the Centre about the preparedness to deal with the expected COVID-19 second wave peak in mid-May, terming the massive rise in cases as a ‘tsunami', and warned it will "hang" any person who tries to obstruct oxygen supplies to hospitals. Talking tough, a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli, said this during a special hearing on a holiday on the issue of mounting oxygen crisis in various hospitals in Delhi. The court said the viral disease has a low mortality and those who have low immunity will eventually die, but the problem arises when people who could be saved are also dying. "The mortality rate needs to be reduced." Mehta said the country needs to be ready for a rapid rise in cases in May and June.

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