Treat PIL as 'representation' which seeks compensation to families of patients who died due to oxygen shortage: Delhi HC
May 07, 2021
New Delhi [India], May 7 : The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the concerned authorities of the Centre and Delhi government to treat a PIL as "representation" which seeks direction to initiate a scheme to provide appropriate compensation to the families of the patients who died due to shortage of oxygen amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The bench of Justice DN Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh directed the respondents to decide the representation as early as practically possible.
Petitioner Shekhar Nanavaty, practicing lawyer in the Delhi High Court, stated that despite the repeated directions on the part of the court, the respondents have failed to match the requirements /demand of the oxygen in the national capital.
Further, the tussle between the Centre and the state government has been responsible for turning Delhi into a graveyard, sadly where there is no place for cremation, the plea read.
The petition states that media reports and the Jaipur Golden hospital have confirmed the deaths of 25 patients due to lack of oxygen. Further, many other hospitals have confirmed the shortage of oxygen as a reason for the deaths of many patients.
It is therefore a sad state of affair in the state and the desperation of people is clearly visible as the public is forced to run from pillar to post at the mercy of the oxygen suppliers begging for the lives of their family members and paying an amount more than IO times of the market rate for procuring the oxygen. It goes without saying that in most cases the people lose their lives as they are unable to get the required oxygen. It is obvious that the figures of deaths mentioned in the newspapers are of only those patients who were able to procure admission in the hospital but were unable to get the requisite oxygen, the petitioner stated.
The actual figures are obviously humongous as in most cases the people in need of oxygen are not able to even secure a bed in the hospital, read the plea.
The petition further seeks setting up a commission or any other appropriate authority to prepare a list of such patients and to monitor and ensure that the financial assistance/compensation, as decided by the respondents, are provided to them.
