Hospitals should display beds, oxygen availability: High Court

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Monday directed the AAP government to decide "as early as possible and practicable" a representation seeking a direction to all hospitals here to prominently display on digital boards the number of beds, oxygen cylinders and ventilators available with them on a real time basis.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh directed the Delhi government to decide the representation, by a nursing officer, in accordance with the law, rules, regulations and government policy applicable to the facts of the case and keeping in mind earlier directions passed by government on the issue in June 2020.

The court said, "The decision be taken as early as possible and practicable." With the observation, the bench disposed of the plea by nursing officer Sinu John who has alleged in her plea that there have been instances of denial of beds by hospitals to patients who were in a critical state and needed immediate medical attention.

In her petition, filed through advocates Robin Raju and M P Srivignesh, the nursing officer has said that in the wake of the alarming rise of COVID-19 cases in the country and Delhi in particular the demand for hospital beds and oxygen cylinders has also increased like never before and there are queues outside many hospitals.

"Many have lost their lives because they neither got proper medical attention nor accurate information regarding availability of beds.The present situation thus warrants some new measures that will help to withstand this new wave of COVID-19. "...there is a dire need to direct all the hospitals in the city to place big display boards preferably digital boards outside their hospitals, which gives the information about the total beds in the hospital, the available beds, data regarding availability of ventilators and oxygen cylinders," the petition had said.

John contended that such a measure would ensure transparency with regard to availability of beds, oxygen and ventilators in the hospitals in the national capital. "There is also a need for regular monitoring of hospitals by officers of the respondent (Delhi government) to see whether the numbers provided by the hospitals in the mobile application is accurate or not," the petition had said.

The Delhi High Court said it expects the Rajasthan government to honour the orders not to obstruct cryogenic tankers carrying medical oxygen for COVID-19 patients to other states observing that any obstruction at this stage will tantamount to endangering hundreds of human lives. A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli, conducting a three-and-a-half-hour long hearing on the oxygen crisis, said no purpose would be served by causing such obstructions.

"We hope and expect the State of Rajasthan to honour the orders passed by the court and the Central government. An obstruction in the matter of liquid oxygen at this stage will tantamount to endangering hundreds of human lives. It will serve no purpose to anyone to obstruct," the bench said, adding that the stoppage of tankers will have a snowballing effect.

The remarks by the bench came after INOX, which supplies oxygen to Delhi, said that some of its tankers were stopped by the Rajasthan government and are yet to be released. Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta told the court that strict action would be taken against those who stopped the tankers and the same would be released.