E-Paper
HC asks Centre to decide on oxygen allocation to Tamil Nadu
Chennai: The Madras high court has directed the Centre to take a decision by Friday on the revised allocation of 475 metric tonnes of oxygen to Tamil Nadu after the state health secretary J Radhakrishnan informed the court that the revised quantum was agreed upon by the Centre but an order issued on May 5 did not include Tamil Nadu
Chennai: The Madras high court has directed the Centre to take a decision by Friday on the revised allocation of 475 metric tonnes of oxygen to Tamil Nadu after the state health secretary J Radhakrishnan informed the court that the revised quantum was agreed upon by the Centre but an order issued on May 5 did not include Tamil Nadu.
More alarming is the fact that if the Centre does not release the agreed upon revised allotment, the reserve oxygen in Tamil Nadu will last only till Friday and that there might be a shortage from Saturday, Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC) Secretary P Umanath told the court.
The state produces 400 MTs of oxygen per day and current usage is between 400-450 MTs per day. The state explained that the INOX plant in Sriperumbudur is the lifeline as it supplies 150 MT but the Centre has diverted 60 MT to other states. The central government has revised the data to 475 MT and said that it requires approval of the empowered group, but it has still not come through. Umanath submitted the gist of the meeting with the Centre on the sharing of oxygen to nearby states of Kerala and Telangana. “The diversion of oxygen from Sriperumbudur to other states has put us in a difficult situation. There is no alternative supply to southern states and we are managing with the reserves and it will run out tomorrow,” Umanath told the court.
The submissions were made during a suo motu case of Covid-19 second wave preparedness in Tamil Nadu being heard by the first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy.
On the demand for beds, the health secretary submitted that oxygen beds and ventilators are fast filling up and 875 new ones will come up Friday.
The court also asked the health secretary about the deaths in Chengalpattu government hospital. Thirteen patients died between late Tuesday night and early hours of Wednesday. The state informed the court that they have formed a committee to establish the cause of death but submitted that there were provided oxygen. Doctors in the hospital had protested on Wednesday alleging that it was due to oxygen shortage. But the hospital dean said that there was only a drop in oxygen pressure and the patients died due to critical illness.
