NEW DELHI, May 6:
The Supreme Court today sought the Centre’s plan of action for the third surge of the COVID-19 pandemic, which the Government yesterday said is inevitable.
A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and MR Shah was hearing the Centre’s appeal challenging the Delhi High Court order regarding supply of oxygen to Delhi.
On Wednesday, the apex court had stayed the Delhi High Court’s order which had issued a show-cause notice for contempt to the Centre for failing to meet the Oxygen supply benchmark in the national capital.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, on behalf of the Centre, apprised that to allot 700 metric tonnes of oxygen to the national capital, the allotment for other states has to be interfered with.
The top court also pointed out the need to vaccinate the younger population fast as it would affect their families.
Stressing the ongoing second surge and a potential third wave, Justice Chandrachud observed that India does not have such a quantum of human resources and no country in the world can meet such a demand.
Directing the Centre to increase the healthcare personnel in the COVID workforce, the court said that there are 1.5 lakh doctors and nearly 2.5 lakh nurses who recently completed their course.
“Among those completed MBBS are waiting for PG courses and nurses are fully trained. How can you make COVID service attractive to them?”, the court asked.
On Wednesday, the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Prime Minister had said a third wave of COVID-19 was inevitable given the high levels of the circulating virus and that they couldn’t predict a time frame for it. (UNI)
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