Delhi’s Oxygen Crisis: The Court Takes the Helm
Why Hospitals are Calling the High Court
Picture a hospital in New Delhi where a dozen COVID‑19 patients have the same one–tiny 30‑minute oxygen supply left. The outer wheels are at a standstill, no trucks in sight. The medical warriors turned to the one place that might just save lives – the Delhi High Court.
The Daily “O2‑Watch” Sessions
Two veteran judges, Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli, now host almost daily video hearings. They treat each case like a high‑stakes audition for a life‑saving waltz. Lawyers, local and federal officials shuffle around the virtual stage pressing the same plea: the Constitution is on record, life is under threat.
Result (Congrats, Court!): Oxygen Arrives on Time
When the court issued its order, a shipment sailed in – a cylinder, then a tank – within hours. The hospital’s breath‑in‑mist moments turned into a win for the legal crew.
The Numbers that Make Your Head Spin
- Delhi’s daily COVID influx: ~20,000 new cases.
- Needed medical oxygen: 976 tonnes for the city’s 20 million people.
- Actual supply (as allocated by the federal government): less than 490 tonnes.
Fights at the Table
The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi says it’s pulling every lever to ferry oxygen nationwide. But the Delhi administration – run by an opposing party – claims the crisis is being politicised. The judges sit listening, reviewing, and occasionally getting a bit dramatic.
When Justice Sanghi Goes “Bashing Mode”
After repeated delays, Justice Sanghi dropped his composure: “The water has gone over the head. Enough is enough… enough is enough.” He even tossed out a no‑frills suggestion that the state should beg, borrow, steal, or import oxygen to keep the city from turning into a smoking death‑trap.
Take‑away
In a city that’s sputtering for less than half its required oxygen, the High Court has stepped in as the defiant last line of defense. Whether the political gavel or a fork‑lift can save the day remains to be seen, but one thing’s clear: the lives on that threshold depend on the court’s next ruling.
‘Like water for fish’
Delhi Hospitals Facing an Oxygen Crisis: A Tale of Urgency and Frustration
Since late April, the city’s top hospitals have gone to court to ask for help with their oxygen shortages.
How the Emergency Unfolds
Picture this: a courtroom buzzing with emergency calls, lawyers shouting about “one hour left” and the desperate hour‑glass ticking away. That’s the scene when the local government’s lawyer dialed an oxygen supplier, lay the call on speaker, and the judge listened in disbelief while the hospital struggled to get cylinders.
- Legal staff calling into the courtroom on live audio, demanding oxygen.
- Judges urging state authorities to act urgently.
- Hospitals that lost their oxygen supply getting pressed into the court’s ears.
“It’s Like Water Is for Fish” – A Dying Metaphor
Prabhsahay Kaur, one of the lawyers pleading for oxygen supplies, described the situation as having “no water for fish.” A chilling image that captures the dire situation.
Inside the Court: A Puzzling Scene
During a recent hearing, a lawyer for the local government asked an oxygen supplier over the phone why their cylinders had not reached a hospital. Meanwhile, a judge on the bench calmly listened while urging the state to pull action on the crisis.
Another lawyer broke into conversation while pleading that his hospital had just one hour of oxygen. And an official from the home ministry apologized, saying their officers were working “on war footing.”
Federal Government’s Call for Help
India’s Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, speaking for the federal government, declared a desperate plea for “God’s blessings” as oxygen shortages threaten patient survival.