Delhi HC asks centre to look into oxygen shortage in Delhi as number of Covid-19 infections surge

The high court's remarks came a day after Delhi reported 25,462 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday, its highest single-day surge.

The Delhi high court on Monday directed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi and the central government to file an affidavit by Tuesday, disclosing the number of beds available across hospitals for Covid-19 patients in the national capital. The HC also asked both the governments to include the details of number of beds with or without ventilators and oxygen support, news agency PTI reported.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal asked for urgent supply of Oxygen to Delhi. In picture - Health worker talking with a patient in a Covid-19 quarantine centre in New Delhi. (AP)

The high court's remarks came a day after Delhi reported 25,462 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday, its highest single-day surge. Earlier in the day, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the city’s health system has reached its limits. “Delhi is facing the fourth wave of Covid-19. 25,000 cases have been reported now. Delhi's health system has reached its limits. I don’t say that the system has collapsed but it has reached its limits,” ANI quoted Kejriwal as saying.

The high court also asked the Centre to look into the aspect of shortage of oxygen supply in Delhi hospitals on an urgent basis.

Also, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, Kejriwal asked for urgent supply of Oxygen to Delhi, ANI reported.

Amid the ongoing Covid-19 induced curfews in Delhi, the HC also commented regarding the migrant crisis that both the Centre and the Delhi government have failed in the implementation of last year’s lockdown and there are lessons to be learnt, PTI reported. Earlier in the day, Kejriwal too appealed to the migrant workers to not leave the city and assure of government assistance.

The high court also said that the Delhi government’s direction on action against labs that do not deliver test results within 24 hours will not be implemented. “Because of this direction (of the government), labs are not willing to collect samples if they are unable to deliver reports in 24 hours. If any such action is taken by the government, it would only be counter productive. We have to be clear that labs are also hard pressed because of the large numbers they are having today. It would not serve the interest of any laboratory to negligently or deliberately delay the test result,” PTI quoted the bench as saying.

Earlier on April 17, Kejriwal during a press conference said that “strict enquiry” will be ordered against labs that pick up more samples than their capacity and take more than 24 hours to deliver the results.