Close on the heels of Oxygen related tragedy in Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar district, in which 24 people, including 23 Covid patients, died due to a shortage of Oxygen, Supreme Court asked the centre to create a buffer stock of oxygen to meet the emergency situations immediately. The tragedy occurred at
A three-judge bench headed by Justice Chandrachud said the oxygen stocks should be created in the next four days and replenished on a day-to-day basis. This is in addition to the existing allocation of the medical oxygen supply to the states.
“ We direct the central government to prepare a buffer stock of oxygen in collaboration with the states to be used for emergency purposes to ensure supply lines continue to function even in unforeseen circumstances. The location of these stocks shall be decentralized so as to be immediately available if the normal supply chain is disrupted to any hospital for any reason, “ the bench added.