The last thing that all prominent hospitals operating in and around the Delhi NCR region needed was a sheer lack of supply of oxygen tanks. Here’s a statement of fact that many may not differ with. If you are someone who keeps a constant vigil on the new message update and stays transfixed on the WhatsApp groups, then you may have chanced upon a common message update. Texts that deal with the matter of those in the business of supplying oxygen in the city. In order words, vendors with oxygen supply cylinders. Isn’t that right?
A part of one’s daily activity nowadays is the forwarding and constant sharing of such precious contacts (numbers).
Over the course of the last few days, it must be said, things took a turn for the worse so much so that the Delhi CM Kejriwal held an urgent meeting along with the chief ministers of ten other states with Prime Minister Modi also participating in the meeting. The task was loud and clear- to formulate ways to solve the grave crisis surrounding the lack of availability of oxygen cylinders with the leading hospitals in Delhi.
And now, as on April 24, 2021, according to latest updates, the Delhi HC has decided to act tough on the ongoing concern, going as far as stating that if any miscreant or misdoer is found obstructing or tampering with the oxygen supply, then the perpetrator will be hanged.
As a matter of fact, there is hardly a dearth of COVID-19 patients in the city who are seriously ill and in urgent need of oxygen supply. And the Delhi HC’s observation came through a sitting bench featuring of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli during a hearing of a plea by the Maharaja Agrasen Hospital over the matter of shortage of oxygen cylinders.
Furthermore, it must be mentioned in no uncertain terms that the Delhi HC acting tough on the said matter can be clearly gauged by the following statement issued in the public domain:
If any official at the Central, State or Local administration is found obstructing in the picking up or the supply of oxygen then, “we will hang that man!”
Perhaps the above clearly suggests the seriousness of the matter- or does it not?
In addition to the above, it is worthwhile to note what popular newspaper Mid Day added in its coverage:
The court told the Delhi government to give it one instance of who was obstructing the oxygen supply and said “we will hang that man”.
“We will not spare anyone,” the bench added.
The court told the Delhi government to inform the Centre also about such officials of the local administration so that it could take action against them.
All of that told, what’s of serious concern is that despite 2021 being the year where the world has finally found a vaccine, the troubles surrounding the COVID 19 pandemic are simply not ending. On the one hand, while the efficacy of the India-made vaccine is being lauded around the world, hence leading to huge volumes of exports, back in the country, a new wave of cases are causing fresh alarm with the authorities hard pressed for meaningful solutions.
Let’s hope that the coming days are devoid of any serious concerns and that ‘Acche Din’ actually strike for real.